Silver Hallmarks Identification Guide

Silver hallmarks are small stamps or marks on silver alloys to indicate their purity, origin, date, and maker. The most important is the standard mark, which shows the silver’s purity – sterling (92.5% pure), is typically a lion passant. Hallmarks are very important as they show how much silver is pure and how much it is worth.

What do markings on silver mean?

The compulsory minimum hallmark requirement is to show the maker/sponsor’s mark, the fineness mark, and the assay office mark. These markings guarantee the silver’s purity and the party responsible for the item. Together, the hallmarks indicate who made the silver, how pure it is, and which assay office has tested and approved it.

Silver Hallmarks Identifications

By carefully inspecting key elements, buyers can identify genuine silver and avoid purchasing counterfeits.. Hallmarks also denoted the year of assaying, place of manufacture, town mark or import marks, and other special occasion marks.

• Standard Mark: Indicates the purity of the silver, such as the lion passant for sterling silver (92.5% pure).
• Assay Office Mark: Identifies where the silver was tested and approved, like the leopard’s head for London
• Date Mark: Shows the year the silver was assayed, using a letter that changes annually
• Maker’s Mark: The initials or symbol of the silversmith or sponsor who produced the item

Types of Silver Hallmarks

The main types of silver hallmarks that indicate purity are Sterling Silver Hallmarks, Britannia Silver Hallmarks,s, and Millesimal Fineness Marks.

Sterling Silver Hallmark

The standard mark for sterling silver is typically a lion passant, indicating the silver is 92.5% pure. This has been the standard for sterling silver in the UK since the 13th century.

Britannia Silver Hallmark

This higher 95.83% purity standard was intended to limit the melting down of silver coins into silverware. However, Britannia silver was considered softer and more expensive than sterling, so sterling was reauthorized for use by silversmiths from 1720 onwards. 

Millesimal fineness marks

Millesimal fineness marks coexist with other traditional hallmarks, providing an additional layer of information about the silver’s quality and composition. It provides a more direct numerical indication of the silver content than other hallmark symbols. The number represents the parts per thousand of pure silver in the alloy.

For example, a mark of 925 means the silver item is 92.5% pure silver (925 parts per thousand). Similarly, 800 indicates 80% pure silver (800 parts per thousand). These millesimal marks became more common in the 20th century as a way to communicate the silver purity.

Reading Silver Hallmarks

Reading silver hallmarks requires the ability to not just identify the individual marks, but to synthesize that information into a comprehensive understanding of the silver item.

• Locating all the hallmarks on the silver item
• Identifying each hallmark symbol
• Interpreting the combined information provided by the full set of hallmarks
• Understanding what the hallmarks collectively convey about the silver’s purity, origin, date, and maker

Foreign silver hallmarks

For silver items hallmarked in certain foreign countries, different standards may apply compared to traditional British hallmarks. For example, some European nations use the CCM symbol—a balance scale with the fineness mark superimposed on an angular shape outlining the scales. The fineness is indicated by a millesimal mark showing the parts per thousand of pure silver in the alloy.

Silver investment

Investment-grade silver bullion offers a tangible, counterparty-free asset that can help diversify a portfolio. Investors typically prefer silver content over hallmarks when purchasing bars or coins.

Silver plate hallmarks

Unlike solid silver items, no recognized or regulated hallmarking system exists for silver-plated or electroplated wares. Any markings found on these types of items are simply manufacturer’s marks, not true hallmarks.

Common markings found on silver-plated pieces include “EPNS” (Electroplated Nickel Silver) and “EPBM” (Electroplated Britannia Metal). By closely examining the item and performing these simple tests, you can determine if a silver-colored piece is solid silver or just electroplated.

History of Silver Hallmarking

Hallmarking on silver began in the 13th century under King Edward I in the UK which decreed that the leopard’s head mark would guarantee sterling silver (92.5% silver). The Hallmarking Act of 1973 currently governs silver hallmarking in the UK. 

As per the 1973 Hallmarking Act, all manufactured items over 1 gram in weight and containing precious metal must be hallmarked. Other countries have their hallmarking systems and regulations differently.

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