If You"ve Found it Hard To Find Sterling Letter , This is The Place For You!
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US $75.00
British Silver and Gold Hallmarking from 1300 AD to present
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; Standard Mark, City Mark, Date Letter, Duty Mark and Maker's Mark.
The Standard mark indicates the purity of the silver.
A - Sterling .925
B - Britannia .958, used exclusively 1697 - 1720, optional afterwards.
C - Sterling .925 for Glasgow
D - Sterling .925 for Edinburgh
E - Sterling .925 for Dublin
The date letter system was introduced in London in 1478 (elsewhere as the hallmarking system evolved). Its purpose was to establish when a piece was presented for assay or testing of the silver content. The mark letter changed annually in May, the cycles of date letters were usually in strings of 20 and each cycle was differentiated by a changing of the font, letter case and shield shape.
In 1784 the duty mark was created to show that a tax on the item had been paid to the crown. The mark used was a profile portrait of the current reigning monarch's head. The use of this mark was abolished in 1890.
The enforced use of the maker's mark was instituted in London in 1363. Its purpose was to prevent the forgery of leopard's head marks upon silver of debased content. Originally, makers' marks were pictograms, but by the beginning of the 17th Century it had become common practice to use the maker's initials.
About the Author
Please visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ http://www.fabprints.com
My other website is called Directory of British Icons: http://fabprints.webs.com
The Chinese call England "The Island of Hero's" which I think sums up what we English are all about.
Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.