Silver is a beautiful precious metal whose brilliance can be appreciated in a wide variety of everyday items. Silver can be found in everything from utensils and serving trays to tea sets and jewelry.
It can add sparkle and elegance to even the most ordinary household items. So how do you know if your heirloom utensils or coin collection is actually silver, or if it's some other precious metal that gives the appearance of it? That's where silver hallmarks can help you identify whether you own silver, as well as the type of silver present in your collection.
What is a silver hallmark?
Silver hallmarks are marks stamped on silver pieces to identify them as silver. They are applied with a hammer and punch before the final polishing of the piece. The edges of punches are often rough after stamping, so final polishing is necessary to complete the piece.
Silver hallmarks can reveal several pieces of information about your coin, including country of origin, purity - often called the silver's titer - date and even the city where the coin was hallmarked.
What is the purpose of a silver hallmark?
Silver is a soft precious metal, which means it has to be mixed with other materials to make items such as utensils, tea sets and jewelry. Silver hallmarks indicate the purity of the coin, whether it's 80 %, 90 %, 92.5 % or even 95 % silver. Thus, a 92.5 % silver coin would contain 7.5 % of other materials. Sterling silver is composed of 92.5 % of silver and represents one of the most common grades for silver articles.
These hallmarks have been created to demonstrate that the title of the silver article has been assessed and recognized by a legal authority, known as a bureau de contrôle. These offices were established to authenticate precious metals. All silver items must be hallmarked.
The origin of silver hallmarks
The stamping of silver with hallmarks dates back to King Edward I in the 1300s, when a hallmark depicting a leopard's head was added to all silver articles made in London; this hallmark is still used today. This practice was developed to prevent fraud and protect consumers, since silver has always had great value.
The British hallmarking system became more formalized in 1327 under the reign of Edward III. Under his order, a medieval guild was created to value and mark all precious metals in London; today, this guild is known as The Goldsmiths’ Company. All precious metals had to be brought to the offices of Goldsmiths’ Hall in London for testing. Once approved, they were stamped with the King's hallmark, creating the first standardized hallmark system.
The Goldsmiths’ Company still occupies its original location at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London. Its offices have expanded throughout the UK. Today, it continues to maintain its hallmarking standards and a dynamic educational program to preserve this expertise.
Why is this important to you?
Knowing that silver needs to be hallmarked can help you determine whether the items taking up space in your cupboards or drawers are intended for donation... or whether they could earn you some money. Check all silver-looking items for hallmarks. Among the most common are 925, STG, STERLING, a lion or a harp. See our guide to British silver hallmarks for more examples of silver hallmarks.
Next time you're in a thrift store, examine the shiny objects to see if they're real silver or just another imitator. Bring any silver items to your local Canada Gold branch for a free, no-obligation evaluation.
