BRITISH HALLMARKS

Hallmarking History

Hallmarking was originally introduced in 1300 by a Statute of Edward I and is probably the earliest form of consumer protection.

Hallmarking is necessary because when jewellery is manufactured, precious metals are not used in their pure form, as they are unworkable. Gold, Silver, and Platinum are always alloyed with copper or other metals to create an alloy that is more suitable to the requirements of the jeweller. Such an alloy needs to be strong, workable and attractive.

Due to the high value of gold, platinum and silver, there are significant profits to be gained by reducing the precious metal content of an alloy at the manufacturing stage. Even an expert cannot determine the quality or standard of precious metal items by eye or touch alone. Base metal articles plated with a thin coat of gold or silver are indistinguishable from the same articles made wholly of precious metal until subjected to expert testing.

With volume manufacturing, enormous profits can be made from undercarating. Without compulsory independent testing there is huge potential for deception and fraud.

The UK Hallmarking system has offered valuable protection for over 700 years. Compulsory Hallmarking protects all parties; the public who receive a guarantee of quality, the manufacturer who is given quality control and protection from dishonest competitors at a very low cost and the retailer who avoids the near impossible task of checking standards on all his goods.

Brief History of UK Hallmarks
Hallmarking is the world's first known instance of consumer protection law, in the UK it dates back to about 1300 AD.

Date	Event
1300	Hallmarking introduced in UK
1378	Town Marks Introduced
1477	18 Carat Replaces 191/5 Carat as Standard Gold
1478	Date Letters Introduced
1478	London Assay Office Opened
1544	Lion Mark Introduced for Sterling Silver
1575	22 Carat Replaces 18 Carat as Standard Gold
1681	First Edinburgh Date Letters
1697	Britannia Mark Introduced for Silver
1701	Castle Mark Introduced for Exeter
1720	Sterling Silver Standard Re-admitted
1731	Hibernia Mark Introduced for Dublin
1759	Thistle Mark Introduced for Edinburgh
1773	Birmingham Assay Office Opened
1773	Sheffield Assay Office Opened
1774	Duty Mark Imposed
1798	18 Carat Reintroduced in Addition to 22 Carat
1819	Lion Rampant Mark Introduced for Glasgow
1842	Customs Act Requiring Foreign Goods to Have British Hallmark
1854	9 Carat Introduced
1854	12 Carat Introduced
1854	15 Carat Introduced
1856	York Assay Office Closed
1867	Foreign Mark Introduced
1882	Exeter Assay Office Closed
1890	Duty Mark Dropped
1904	Carat Marks Compulsory on Gold
1932	12 Carat Mark Discontinued
1932	15 Carat Mark Discontinued
1932	14 Carat Introduced
1934 - 1935	Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1952 - 1953	Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1953 - 1954	Coronation Mark Used
1962	Chester Assay Office Closed
1964	Glasgow Assay Office Closed
1973	Hallmarking Act
1974	British Hallmarking Council Formed
1976	Platinum Mark Introduced
1976	UK Ratifies Convention Mark
1977	Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1998	Revised Hallmarking Acts
1999	New Acts Become Effective
1999 - 2000	Millennium Mark Used

A typical set of antique British silver hallmarks showing (left to right) ; Standard Mark, City Mark, Date Letter, Duty Mark and Maker's Mark

This group of marks tells us that this piece was made of Sterling, in the city of London, in the year 1789, during the reign of King George III, by the silversmith Thomas Wallis.

Note - British hallmarks come in sets, the rule of thumb is, if you do not have a complete set including:
Standard mark, city mark, date letter and maker's mark [+ a duty mark if 1785-1890], the item is
either from another country or a piece of silverplate with a hallmark-like trademark.