THE DIRECTORY OF AUSTRALIA SILVERSMITHS
MARKS AND HALLMARKS OF AUSTRALIAN SILVER
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 created by Giorgio B. owner of
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AUSTRALIA SILVERSMITHS
ALPHABETICAL LISTING
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AUSTRALIAN SILVERSMITHS    A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I    J    K    L    M    N    O    P    Q    R    S    T    U    V    W    X    Y    Z    NOT IDENTIFIED
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF MARKS
(click on the photo to enlarge image)
SILVERSMITH'S NAME
AND MARKS
SILVERSMITH'S INFORMATION
CARIS Bros
Caris Bros - Perth		 West Australia, Perth
Founded by Stanley Caris in 1897. Purchased by George Ledger in 1924, was active in Perth with branches at Kalgoorlie and Bunbury. Out of business c. 1984
CARR Eric
Eric Carr		 West Australia, Perth
active 1980s
CLAYTON Samuel
CLAYTON Samuel CLAYTON Samuel		 New South Wales, Sydney
active 1820s/1850s
COHEN Henry
COHEN Henry		 New South Wales, Sydney
active 1830s
COHEN Joel John
COHEN Joel John COHEN Joel John often found with the mark of J.J.Cohen		 New South Wales, Sydney
active 1840s




HALLMARKS OF ENGLISH SILVER - MAKER'S MARK IDENTIFICATION
BRITISH TOWN MARKS AND DATE LETTERS
AUSTRALIA AND ITS SILVER
A BRIEF HISTORY
1841 map of Australia Colony
Australia in the 19th century was made up of six separate colonies, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and Western Australia, South Australia (including, at this time, also the Northern Territories).
In terms of working silversmiths only three colonies supported any number of craftsmen, namely New South Wales capital, Sydney, Victoria, capital Melbourne and South Australia capital, Adelaide.
Europeans arrived in Australia (English Colony) in 1788. The European population by 1800 was only around 4 000 but by 1850 - due to a number of factors including the Gold Rush - it stood at 400 000. There was also an indigenous population. Australian made silver pre 1850 by comparison to colonial silver in general must be considered very rare.
Most working silversmiths with retail business carried imported silver or plated items as current stock and locally produced items were manufactured only to fulfill immediate orders (as presentation trophies) when the waiting time to order pieces from England was too long.
No form of official mark or date letter system was introduced into the hallmarking of Australian silver.
Early Australian silversmiths marked their objects with their full name or initials and imitations of English hallmarks as leopard's heads, lions and anchors.
In 1988 was formed the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia. A voluntary system of marking was introduced (maker's mark, standard mark, guild mark and date letter).





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