ENGLAND
See
the page The
British hallmarks system
for general information
on precious metals hallmarking.
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London
The presence of a Guild of Goldsmiths
(The powerful and truculent Craft of Mystery) is
documented since 1180, The first royal charter from Edward
III marks the beginning of the Company's formal existence
as a craft guild in 1327.
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmith, as
know in the past, is now the Goldsmith
Company.
The town mark of London is the leopard
head that before 1550 was the standard mark for sterling
silver. Evolution of the hallmarking system in London is
reported at the page The
British hallmarks system.
    
Selection of town marks of
London
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Birmingham
In the second half of the XVIII century
Birmingham and Sheffield had become important industrial
towns where industrial processes were improved also in the
silver industry. In Birmingham was operation Matthew
Boulton, one of the
biggest industrial manager of all times. He is known for
its effort in the opening of two new Assay Offices in
Birmingham and Sheffield in 1773, in spite of the great
opposition of the London Worshipful Company of Goldsmith.
The marks of the new Assay Offices are
an anchor for Birmingham and a crown for Sheffield in
memory of a tavern (named Crown and Anchor) where the
difficult negotiation took place.
    
Selection of town marks of
Birmingham
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Chester
Silversmith activity in Chester began
in 925, but it is well documented only since 1225. Until
the end of XVII century hallmarking was not regular
although a Guild of Silversmiths was appointed to survey
the silver standard. Chester is not one of towns were the
act of Henry VI in 1423 allowed the opening of new Assay
Offices, but likely because hallmarking activity in
Chester was already established and well known since 1225.
The maker mark is in use since 1573 and
the date letter (the same also used for two o three years)
since 1686. Only after an act of James II in 1865 the
Chester city arms (a
shield with three wheat-sheaves around a sword) was used
as town mark, but many of the silver hallmarked at that
time only report the word "sterling" struck on
it.
Since 1701 the hallmarking system is similar to those used
in London (including the presence of the leopard head).
Between 1771 and 1779 a shield with three lions in its
left part and half of the Chester City arm in the right
one was used as town mark. The Assay Office closed down in
1962.
Silver hallmarked in Chester are very rare because no
silversmith were operating in the town after 1820/1830.
The abundance of Chester hallmarks on silverware dating
from about 1880 to 1930 is due to the fact that to Chester
Assay Office were sent for hallmarking silver crafted in
Birmingham or by local silversmith operating in Liverpool
and Manchester
     
Selection of town marks of
Chester
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Exeter
It
seems that an Assay Office was operating in Exeter despite
it was not one of towns were the act of Henry VI in 1423
allowed the opening of new Assay Offices. The first town
marks (a "X" in a circular punch below a crown)
was used in the half of the XVI century. Until 1700
hallmarking is not regular and the date letter desultorily
used. With the official opening of the Assay Office in
1701 the hallmarking was similar to those used in London
with a new town mark (a three towers castle). The Office
close down in 1883. Items marked Exeter prior the XIX
century are very rare.
     
Selection of town marks of
Exeter
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Newcastle
The
silversmith activity in Newcastle is documented since
1248. Newcastle became an Assay Office after the act of
Henry VI in 1423. The fist town mark (a castle) was
replaced by three separated castle struck in a shield,
but silver hallmarking in Newcastle was not regular till
the end of 1600. Since 1701 the hallmarking system is
similar to those used in London (including the presence of
the leopard head). There are some particularity in silver
hallmarked in Newcastle: between 1721 and 1727 the lion
passant was looking right and, crowned leopard head
remained in use fore some years after 1820 and sometime
the duty mark of Queen Victoria appear crowned. The Assay
office close down in 1884 after a long diatribe with the
Goldsmith Company of London for supposed illegality in
hallmarking.
   
Selection of town marks of
Newcastle
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Norwich
A guild of Silversmith was operating in
Norwich at least since 1285. Norwich became an Assay
Office after the act of Henry VI in 1423. The firs town
mark (a castle above a lion passant) was introduced in
1565 and its use should be accompanied by the date letter
(but almost never found) and by the maker mark. In the
late XVI and at the beginning of the XVII century the town
marks was a crowned
rose which was later replaced
by a rose alone.
The Assay Office closed down in 1701 and silvers marked
in this town can be only see in some museum.
     
Selection of town marks of
Norwich
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Sheffield
The
history of the Sheffield Assay Office is strongly
connected to those of Birmingham.
The name of Sheffield is also related to the discovery and
the commercialisation of the Sheffield plate in the second
half of the XVIII century. The date letter was used
randomly between 1773 and 1823 and particular marks have
been introduced for little articles (see Sheffield
marks). Gold marking in Sheffield was introduced only in
1904.The town mark is a crown, but since 1975 it was
change in the Tudor rose.
    
Selection of town marks of
Sheffield
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York
A guild of Silversmith was operating in
York 1385. During the Henry VI reign (1422-1461), York was
the most important ton for silver after London. It was one
of the towns elected to Assay Office by Henry VI in 1423,
silver marked in York are known since 1410.
The use of the sterling standard and
the maker marks are documented since 1435. The fist town
mark (half
leopard's head with a fleur-de-lys joined together in a circular shield)
was in use since 1560, accompanying by a series of date
letters and repeated maker marks. In the half of XVII
century the half leopard' head was changed by a
half rose. Since
1701 the mark was changed with a cross containing 5 lions
passant together with the marks in use in London (however
very little activity was made in York at that time).
York hallmarked silver are very rare and many of them
have no town mark and may be confused with London plate.
Furthermore between 1714 and 1779 all the silver crafted
in York was marked in Newcastle. The York assay Office
closed down in 1858.
Rare
mark for York, 1796 (up) and 1807 (down) (Robert Cattle)
Selection of town marks of
York
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SCOTLAND
Although no silverware marked in
Scotland before 1500 is known, since 1457 minimum
standards have been imposed for silver (916.6 ppt) and
gold (20 carats). Items conforming to this standards were
marked with the maker mark and the Deacon marks (the
person in charge for control appointed by the Guild of
silversmiths). In case maker and Deacon were the same
person, the piece bears the same mark struck twice.
Town marks became compulsory in 1485
and the date letter in 1681 (always accompanied by the
Assay Master mark).
The introduction of the Britannia
standard in England (1696) was made before the union act
and so this new standard was not in use in Scotland. Where
sterling standard was reintroduced (1720) the union act
was in force and the standard for Scottish silvers arose
to 925 ppt, but without changing the previous hallmarking
system until 1759 when the system became those described
at the page The
British hallmarks system.
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Edinburgh
A Guild of silversmiths has been
operating in Edinburgh since 1483, becoming independent in
1555, but only examples of silver marked since the second
half of XVI century are known.
The town mark of Edinburgh is a toured
castle. At present the Assay Office of Edinburgh is one of
the four already operating in UK and the only one
positioned out of England.
Silverware marked in Edinburgh are not particularly
rare (mainly if dating after 1800), but it is sough after
by collectors.
   
Selection of town marks of
Edinburgh
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Glasgow
A Guild of silversmiths has been
operating in Glasgow since 1536. The date letter was
introduced in 1681, but at the beginning of the XVIII
century it was discontinued and only three letters have
been used after this date (S, probably for sterling or
Scotland, O and E). The systematic use of the date letter
was reintroduced in 1819, together with the lion rampant
(standard mark) and the current duty mark in use in London.
Silverware marked in Glasgow is quite
rare and only pieces marked in the XIX century can be
found. They are sough after by collectors.
The town mark of Glasgow is a
three with a bird (a red bread) in it upper branches, a
bell suspended from a lower branch and a fish lied at the
base. The Assay Office closed
down in 1964 after many years of economic problems.
   
Selection of town marks of
Glasgow
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IRELAND
The silversmith activity in Ireland is
documented since the Celtic times (very famous is the
Ardagh Chalice crafted in the fist half of the VIII
century).
Irish silvers of the Georgian period
and, in less extent, of the Victorian period are rare.
Some piece appears some tine to time on the market, but
being sough after by collectors their prices are very
high. A typical decoration on Irish silver is represented
by the use of bucolic scene (farms and farmers, cows,
dears, etc.).
Although Ireland is an independent
Country till 1916, the hallmarking system was not changed.
^Top
Dublin
A Guild of silversmiths has been
operating in Dublin since 1437. Since 1457 each silver
should be marked with the maker mark and Deacon Mark (the
person in charge for control appointed by the Guild of
silversmiths). Since 1605 new additional marks were
introduced (a lion, a harp and a castle), but no silver
bearing these marks has been found.
In 1730 the Hibernia mark (very similar
to the Britannia mark and often confused with the latter
one) was introduced to demonstrate the payment of the duty
imposed on silver (see The
British hallmarks system).
To distinguish them, remember that the
Hibernia rests her arm on a harp, while Britannia rests her
arm on an oval shield.
Hibernia
(left) and Britannia (right)
Many
pieces dating around mid XVIII century can be found to
bear either the maker mark or the date letter. This can be
related to a very consolidated practice of duty dodging (see
The
British hallmarks system)
with the impression of the Hibernia directly by the maker
by using forged punches. The omission of the maker mark
avoids the easily identification of the silversmith, while
the omission of the date letter made difficult to compare
the Hibernia mark in use at a specific date (the shape of
the Hibernia mark was frequently change at that time to
contain the duty dodging).
    
Selection of town marks of
Dublin
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