SILVER HALLMARKS DIRECTORY: Main Page Australia Austria Canada Cape Colony Channel Islands England (town) Famous makers France Germany Hanau Ireland Italy Mexico Old Sheffield plate Russia Scotland Scotland (Provincial) UK (Silver plate) UK makers (sterling) USA (Silver plate) USA (sterling)

ENGLISH, SCOTTISH AND IRISH SILVER MARKS MARKS AND HALLMARKS OF BRITISH SILVER - BIRMINGHAM SILVER HALLMARKS (INCLUDING DATE LETTERS AND OTHER SYMBOLS)

created by Giorgio B. owner of www.silvercollection.it ©

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The hallmarking of British silver is based on a combination of marks that makes possible the identification of the origin and the age of each piece. The marks are:

Town mark, corresponding to the mark of the Assay Office that has verified the piece

Lion passant guardant or Britannia or lion's head erased, certifiying the silver quality

Maker's mark, identifying the silversmith presenting the piece to the assay office (usually the initials of Christian name and surname of the silversmith)

Silver hallmarks date letters, in cycles of twenty letters of the alphabet of different shape identifies the year in which the piece was verified by the Assay Office

A further mark was used in the period 1784 - 1890:
Sovereign head ('duty mark'), certifying the payment of the duty

BIRMINGHAM MARKS

London	Dublin	Edinburgh	Sheffield	Chester

CAPE SILVERSMITHS

A - C

D - I

J - M

N - T

U - Z

CHANNEL ISLANDS SILVERSMITHS

A - F

G - H

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Q - Z

unidentified

CANADA SILVERSMITHS

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B

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F

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K

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O

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AUSTRALIAN SILVERSMITHS

A

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H

I

J

K

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O

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NOT IDENTIFIED

SILVER HALLMARKS DIRECTORY: Main Page Australia Austria Canada Cape Colony Channel Islands England (town) Famous makers France Germany Hanau Ireland Italy Mexico Old Sheffield plate Russia Scotland Scotland (Provincial) UK (Silver plate) UK makers (sterling) USA (Silver plate) USA (sterling)

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