Silver Hallmark Decoder — UK, US, France Reference Tool

Interactive Reference · 63 entries

Silver Hallmark Decoder

Select a country, era and symbol category to identify silver hallmarks and date letters from the UK, US and France. Covers 63 of the most-encountered stamps, with context and official references. No image recognition — pick from dropdowns.

63 hallmarksUK · US · FranceFree to citev1 — expanding

Country Era Symbol type

What is a hallmark?

A hallmark is an official stamp applied by a government-authorized assay office to certify that a piece of precious metal meets a specific fineness standard. It typically consists of several smaller stamps struck together. The UK hallmarking system, formally codified in 1300, is the oldest continuously-enforced in the world.

The four (or five) UK hallmark elements

Maker's mark — the silversmith's registered initials or symbol.
Standard mark — lion passant (sterling 925), Britannia (958), or 999.
Assay office mark — leopard's head (London), anchor (Birmingham), rose (Sheffield since 1975), castle (Edinburgh).
Date letter — a letter in a specific font and cartouche indicating the year of assay.
Duty mark (1784–1890 only) — sovereign's head, present when duty was paid.

US vs UK hallmarking

The US has never had a compulsory national assay office. Since the Federal Marking Act of 1906, any piece marketed as 'silver' must state its fineness, but the marks themselves come from the maker. This means US sterling bears only a maker's mark plus 'STERLING' or '925' — no date letter, no assay office stamp. For US collectors, identifying the age of a piece depends on maker's-mark variations over time.

Reading French poinçons

France distinguishes two silver standards: 1er titre (Minerva head, 950 fineness) and 2e titre (Minerva with '2', 800 fineness). Additional marks:

Boar's head — small works below a statutory weight (jewelry, small objects).
Crab — imported silver not yet assayed for the French market.
Swan — imported or second-hand silver re-assayed post-1893.

Each major French city (Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux) had its own centre-mark system of letters. The Minerva head replaced the earlier coq (rooster) mark in 1838.

Why v1 covers UK + US + France. These three systems together account for roughly 80% of the silver hallmarks most students, editors, and dealers encounter. Later editions will add Germany, Russia, Netherlands, Italy, and Scandinavian systems. Have a reference mark we should include? support@25hours.net.