What Are Hallmarks ?
Back in the year 1300, the English passed a law saying that no silver would be sold without first being assayed and, if pure enough, stamped with a leopard’s head. Sixty years later they added a provision that every silversmith should have, “a mark by himself, which mark shall be known by them assigned by the King to certify their work.” The mark of the leopard’s head, a cat shown full-face and wearing a crown, indicated that the piece was 92.5 percent pure silver; but also it was the mark that indicated manufacture in London. In 1544 a new mark was introduced to indicate the assay, the lion passant (a crouching lion facing left), and the leopard’s head was added only if the piece was London made. The Lion Passant 1598 – 1820 since 1820 Some Town Marks London Birmingham Sheffield Glasgow All hallmarks were established by the Goldsmith’s Guild in the towns large enough to support their industry. At some point, the Guild members came up with a system for dating their work using letters o
