The History Of English Hallmarks

ENGLISH HALLMARKS
In 1300 Edward I enacted a statute requiring that all silver articles must meet the sterling standard of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other alloys and must be assayed in this regard by 'guardians of the craft' who would then mark the item with a leopard's head. In 1327 Edward III granted a charter to the Worshipful Company Of Goldsmiths (more commonly known as the Goldsmiths' Company), marking the beginning of the Company's formal existence. This entity was headquartered in London at the Goldsmiths' Hall from where the English term "hallmark" is derived. In the UK the use of the term "hallmark" was first recorded in this sense in 1721 and in the more general sense as a "mark of quality" in 1864. The form of the leopards head has changed over time, and was later used to signify silver made in London, whereas silver made in provincial cities had their own identifying mark. The Lion Passant was eventually used to signify English silver of sterling standard, and it is still illegal to sell silver in England that doesn't have English hallmarks, or if made overseas, it would have to be hallmarked with an import mark to prove it is up to the sterling standard. In 1478 a further mark was added, known as the date letter, which enables us to know not only the city it was made in, but the year it was made. Another mark that we see is the makers mark, each maker registered his own mark, usually initials. Hallmarks have been in use in England, continually for 700 years, and even though the European Common Market regulations no longer require these hallmarks, as they wanted to standardize all the member country marks the English have continued to use them as well as the European required marks, as a way of upholding the tradition. The hallmarks are still government regulated to this day, and the hallmarking is done by the assay office. As we can see the hallmark was really a form of consumer protection, and it is still a capital offense in the UK to interfere with or forge hallmarks, similar to forging currency. The simplicity of understanding English hallmarks, and the strict adherence to fineness is probably one of the main reason that English silver is still highly prized & collected