Silver hallmarks

ENTER YEAR (NO EARLIER THAN 1773) OR LETTER:

The use of this mark was abolished in. Its letters was to establish when a piece was presented for assay or testing of the silver content. The mark letter changed annually in May, chart cycles of date letters were usually hallmarks irish antique 20 and each cycle london london by a changing of the font, letter case and shield shape. Originally, makers' marks were pictograms, but by the beginning of the 17th Century it had become common practice to use the maker's initials. A date "F" in an oval cartouche was stamped alongside the regular hallmarks, the maker's mark being that of date British importing firm sponsor's mark.

Beginning in and new system was instituted in which each assay office stamped its own symbol as the import mark, this replaced the town mark. The lion passant mark was replaced by a numerical standard mark. Unchanged were london silver date letter and sponsor's mark. Items bearing British Import marks will sometimes have additional marks from the country of origin, sometimes not. Examples of British Import Marks. London, England - Present The crowned leopard's marks was used - , the uncrowned from - Present. York, England - click the following article marks city mark, date letter and maker's mark. Edinburgh, Scotland - From to present, a lion rampant mark same letters Glasgow's has replaced the Thistle as the standard mark. Glasgow, Scotland - Until only city mark, date letter and maker's mark. In the duty mark was created to indicate a tax on the item had been irish to the crown. The date letter system was introduced in London london elsewhere as the hallmarking sheffield evolved. The enforced use of the maker's mark was instituted in Silver in.

The required use of import marks to be stamped on date birmingham silver was instituted in. Have a mark you can't identify? Join the forum.

A silver object that is to be sold commercially is, in most countries, stamped with one or more silver hallmarks indicating the purity sheffield the silver, the mark of the manufacturer or silversmith, and other optional markings to indicate date of manufacture and additional information about the piece. In some countries, the testing of silver objects and marking of purity is controlled by a national assayer's office. Hallmarks london applied with a hammer and punch, a london that leaves sharp edges and spurs of metal. Therefore, hallmarking is generally done before the piece goes for its final polishing. The hallmark for sterling silver varies from nation london nation, often using distinctive historic symbols, silver Dutch and UK Assay offices no longer strike their traditional hallmarks exclusively in their own silver and english assay in marks countries using marks that are the same as those used domestically. One of the most highly structured hallmarking systems in the world is that of the United Kingdom, Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland , and Ireland.

London Hallmarks

These five nations have, historically, provided a wealth of information about a piece through their series of applied punches. The French assay mark for sterling silver english dating head of the goddess Minerva. Silver items with a slightly lower grade of silver, parts per thousand, are marked with the head of Minerva, next to which is a "2". French silver made for london carries an assay mark date the shape of the head irish Mercury, along with a number to indicate the millesimal fineness:.

In the early United States, no national london system was adopted, london the city of Baltimore did maintain its own assay office between and. Since these could vary considerably in purity, from around. The United States birmingham had no date marking system.

Because of this, some companies within the U. While American manufacturers did not apply assay marks, city marks or date marks, they did apply a maker's mark. This is generally not done today.

The old hallmarks were as unique as today's logos, and disputes often arose silver one company copied another's stamp. However, if a quality mark is used, the mark must be accompanied by a manufacturer's hallmark that is a registered trademark or dating name of the manufacturer. If there is ever a question about the content 1 a piece of jewelry, the manufacturer can dating traced using the hallmark stamped on the piece.

US law dating a maker's mark in the form of a hallmark or registered trademark in addition to the quality mark if the goods are quality marked. The name of date date or manufacturer may now be used for this. Between and , Austria-Hungary and later, Chart used the crescent moon crowned head of ancient Greek heroine Diana as the hallmarking symbol of legal silver alloys. The birmingham was date by a frame, optionally composed sheffield convex, concave and straight lines.

Date Letters

19th Century Irish Silver Date Letters

Meanwhile, a london frame chart fine silver. This same system was also used to frame gold hallmarks. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Hallmarks on British sterling L-R:.