Hallmarking
The British practice of Hallmarking has been apparent in Britain since 1300. Originally indicating that it was 'marked at Goldsmiths' Hall', hallmarking dictates the date, maker of the Silver and place of Assay and also establishes the purity of metal used, which in Britain, consists of the Sterling mark (a Lion Passant). This unique system probably represented the first form of consumer protection world wide and coupled with the unbroken continuity of marks over the centuries, Hallmarking continues to be a unique source of great fascination for many people and also the main reason, coupled with the excellence of the Silversmith, that British Silver is held in such high regard. Today the assay offices open for hallmarking are London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, and Dublin. Their marks are shown below.
London Leopard’s Head
The first hallmark to be used for London was the leopard’s head, in the year 1300. In that year Edward I laid down the decree that silver and gold could not be made or sold unless it was marked by the leopard’s head also known as the 'Kings Mark' at that time. The Leopards head became crowned in 1478 until 1821 and since this time has remained as the distinguishing mark of London.
The Birmingham Anchor
The mark of an Anchor was adopted as the towns mark when the Birmingham Office was established in1773, largely due to the great Midland Industrialist, Matthew Boulton. According to sources, Birmingham and Sheffield offices tossed a coin for the marks derived from the sign of the 'Crown and Anchor tavern' in London. Birmingham is now the largest office in Europe.
The Sheffield Rose (formerly Crown)
The Sheffield Assay Office was first opened in Norfolk Street, 1773 due to local Silversmiths resenting the inconvenience of sending their wares to London for hallmarking. They subsequently joined with Birmingham petitioners to ask Parliament for their own Offices. During the nineteenth century, Sheffield became a major manufacturing centre acquiring international reputation for its silver and cutlery.
Edinburgh Castle
The three-towered castle is the ancient hallmark of Scotland and has been regulated by parliament since 1485. The Assay office is the largest and only one in Scotland and has been marking silver since the late 15th century.
The Dublin Harp
The Dublin Assay Office was established in 1637 originally holding the mark of a Harp crowned. In 1731 the seated figure of Hibernia was introduced to denote that a duty had been paid on the piece and was continually used thereafter to represent the Dublin Assay Office.
Maker
Each town or area held a number of registered Silversmiths and they all had their individual marks, which they sometimes changed to reflect changes in their business lives. Certain makers are very sought after and command very high prices, such as Paul Storr, Hester Bateman, Christopher Dresser, and Omar Ramsden.
Date Letter
An alphabet cycle was implemented into the Hallmarking system in 1478, each cycle differentiated by changing font styles and shield shapes. Each cycle started with the letter A, using only 20 of the 26 options, omitting the letter J and V to Z, which was amended each year in May. This went on without a break until 1696, when, a new cycle was started called the Britannia standard. In 1975, a new Hallmarking act was passed leading to a much more simplified system Commencing from the first of January of each year, all the date letters in each town changed, enabling the assay year and the calendar year to co-incide, diminishing the complexities concerning the current practice whilst retaining as much interest and tradition as possible.
