What are silver hallmarks?

What is a hallmark and why is it important? A hallmark is a mark on silver objects that specifies purity, maker and the location the piece was made or assessed. If you look on a silver object, such as flatware, the hallmark will be a small series of symbols, images, letters or numbers that has been stamped into the metal, usually somewhere unobtrusive, like the inside, back or bottom of the piece.

One of the most important hallmarks is the standard mark. The standard mark identifies what percentage of silver is in the object. In the UK, the conformity of silver has been regulated with royal ordinances and acts of Parliament since the 12th century.

There are two standards to which silver is assayed: Sterling (92.5%) which is represented by a lion, and Britannia (95.8%) represented by her figure.

The mark of origin was first introduced in London in the late 14th century. Other cities like Birmingham, Dublin and Chester were soon to follow suit with their own marks as new assay offices were established across the country. The mark of origin or town mark is unique to each assay office and enables the location of the piece to be roughly traced. It is good to note that the town mark identifies where the item was tested and hallmarked, not necessarily where it was manufactured.

A date letter is a mark used to determine a date of manufacture. As the name implies, date letters use letters from the alphabet to note when they were made. When searching for the date of your hallmark, first determine the standard and town mark and then match it with the corresponding letter style to determine its age. Please note that some date letters prior to 1975 may show a date range as different cities changed their date letter at different times of the year.

A makers mark, now referred to as a sponsors mark, is used to identify the craftsman, workshop, guild or company that manufactured the item. Prior to the 17th century, most English makers' marks would consist of a symbol, usually referring to or containing their name or initials.

As time progressed, initials became more commonly used. Today, the maker or sponsor's mark can be identified as one or more initials within the frame of a surrounding shield.

The duty mark was used to show that duty had been paid on the item. Duty marks are usually identified as the sovereign’s head and can be found on British articles made between 1784-1890. When items were exported, any previously paid duty could be refunded. The figure of standing Britannia was used to indicate that duty had been refunded for the object.

It is good to note that while duty marks can be used for approximate dating based on the sovereign’s bust, that some smaller assay offices used the old heads even several years after the sovereign’s death.

Commemorative marks have been used since 1935. These are usually optional hallmarks that have been struck on approved items to commemorate an important event, such as a coronation, jubilee or historical anniversary.

One of the earliest commemorative marks bears the busts of King George V and Queen Mary. This mark, found on a silver plate from 1934-1936, was used to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his Majesty’s ascension to the throne. Commemorative silver pieces primarily relate to the British monarchy and are often fine replicas of ancient or historical pieces. Courtesy of di Giovanni Ciceri/ASCAS.

In 1842, The Customs Act made it illegal to sell imported plate unless they had been assayed in Britain or Ireland. In 1867, a hallmark used to distinguish foreign goods was introduced. From 1867-1904 an “F” set within an oval was required to be struck on all plate imported into Britain and Ireland.

In 1904 the The Hallmarking of Foreign Plate Act redefined what import hallmarks looked like. The decimal value of the standard of silver was required along with the annual date letter and an Assay Office Mark within a blunt oval.

As of 1999, the UK is required to accept the national hallmarks of states which are members of the Hallmarking Convention. These include Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland.