Silver plate hallmark identification wizard

The history of hallmarking in Britain began in the year in the reign of King Edward the first. It is thus lengthy, silver plate hallmark identification wizard, and also surprisingly complicated. This short introduction cannot cover all the intricacies; it is intended to be a simple introduction for those with little or no knowledge of the history and practices of hallmarking but are curious about the significance of marks on a piece of silver.

Reading silver hallmarks can tell you a lot about your silver item, including the purity, where it was assayed, in whose factory it was produced, and the year in which the item was assayed. This helpful guide will help you get started with reading your hallmarks. The first step in reading silver hallmarks is to locate the marks on your item. The location of the marks varies from item to item, but there are some general rules. For example, the hallmarks on silver flatware are usually located on the back of the piece, on a flat edge. If the hallmark is unclear then you can breathe on it — like you would to produce condensation on a window, and the mark should become a little clearer.

Silver plate hallmark identification wizard

See also the definitions page in this guide for additional information on hallmark components. Note at centre of the image at right the four elements of the hallmark. Detailed image of hallmark far right. Locate the assay office. If your item does not have one of the standard fineness marks, either traditional or numerical, then it is probably silver plate or is from another county. Go no further. The date letter shows the year that assaying was carried out. The date letter example above represents Prior to the date letter varied for every office. After that it became uniform for every city. Since , the date letter has been optional. Most silver and goldsmiths making bespoke pieces will still opt to use the date letter, however for mass produced silver items it saves the importers money to leave it off.

Something as small as a slightly slanted letter can mean the difference between one mark and another. Scottish Silver. Other marks The item may also have some commemorative or duty marks.

Buying or holding on to silver can be a very smart investment decision. However, when you buy rare or antique silver pieces , it is important to know that the hallmarks are designed to ensure their age and provenance, minimising the risk of your investment. In this article, we explore how you can easily identify what the silver marks — small stamped symbols — on the back or underside of silver items actually mean. The hallmarks on a piece of silver are there to provide you with information on the purity of the silver, who designed it, and occasionally to give you insight into when the item was made. Silver hallmarks should consist of four key elements:.

Reading silver hallmarks can tell you a lot about your silver item, including the purity, where it was assayed, in whose factory it was produced, and the year in which the item was assayed. This helpful guide will help you get started with reading your hallmarks. The first step in reading silver hallmarks is to locate the marks on your item. The location of the marks varies from item to item, but there are some general rules. For example, the hallmarks on silver flatware are usually located on the back of the piece, on a flat edge. If the hallmark is unclear then you can breathe on it — like you would to produce condensation on a window, and the mark should become a little clearer. The standard mark identifies your item as being silver.

Silver plate hallmark identification wizard

The marks on the bottom of a piece of silver can be an indication of the age, maker, and origin of the piece. This is a list of American silver marks and solid American silver. Other lists include silver-plated wares and pewter. It will not help you to identify other silver. Four or five small pictorial marks usually indicate England as the country of origin. Queen Victoria faces left. Queen Elizabeth faces left. Silver was stamped with a lion for London, a thistle for Edinburgh.

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Susan G. Other marks The item may also have some commemorative or duty marks. List of Partners vendors. Ka Kz. This is not the date of manufacture of the piece popular model continued to be manufactured for many years but signifies that it was made after this date. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. The lion can appear in two forms; the lion passant or the lion passant guardant. It is thus lengthy, and also surprisingly complicated. Each assay office where items are tested for purity and stamped as sterling if they meet the requirements has its own distinct mark, known as the town mark. In , gold wedding rings were made liable for hallmarking for the first time. This will let you know which company or person actually created the piece. Some companies used symbols as a commercial logo. Alternatively, online guides are available to help you.

Silver Dictionary' of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu , a pages richly illustrated website offering all you need to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, Sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington , history, oddities This makes difficult the research of information for inexperienced people. The objective of this page is to help the visitors of the site in deciphering the marks of their British silverplate.

Use the standard mark to determine the fineness of the metal. These collaborations allow us to provide you with the most accurate, up-to-date, and comprehensive information available. WA ZZ. Rory H. It was made in Copenhagen, and the silversmith was H. Silver collection. Hallmarking was introduced to show that the fineness had been tested and that the base metal content was not more than allowed by law. Marks used to indicate foreign plate changed frequently, making them particularly difficult to recognise. In , gold wedding rings were made liable for hallmarking for the first time. DA DZ. GA GZ. Having established in which office the item was hallmarked, you can then turn to the tables of date letters to determine when the item was hallmarked. If the hallmark is unclear then you can breathe on it — like you would to produce condensation on a window, and the mark should become a little clearer. Estelle H.