Because the proportion of base metal present cannot be readily assessed, the amount allowed to be added is controlled by law. Pure silver is too soft for objects subject to daily wear so it is alloyed with a base metal, usually copper, to make it more durable This dilutes the precious metal and makes the mixture less valuable. This mark shows that the fineness of the metal meets a specified legal standard. There are some exceptions to this rule, generally items too small or delicate to bear the hallmarks, such as items of jewellery, although if they are described as silver they must be of legal fineness.īritish hallmarks on silver from the period considered usually comprise four or five individual marks. To receive a hallmark an item must be made of silver of a specified fineness, and must pass a test at an assay office to prove this before it is marked. The word “hallmark” is used in its generally accepted sense as a set of marks required by law. Such items will usually be from the nineteenth or early twentieth century, or possibly the eighteenth century, so the emphasis is on helping to identify hallmarks from these periods, including marks that are not hallmarks, and giving some pointers for further research. 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. It is thus lengthy, and also surprisingly complicated. The history of hallmarking in Britain began in the year 1300 in the reign of King Edward the first.
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