History of Hallmarks

The Very Highest Quality Information...

Brief History of UK Hallmarks

Brief History of UK Hallmarks
Hallmarking is the world's first known instance of consumer protection law, in the UK it dates back to about 1300 AD.
We are currently working on this page, meanwhile please see our page on hallmarking.

Time Chart of Hallmarking in Great Britain

Date Event
1300 Hallmarking introduced in UK
1378 Town Marks Introduced
1477 18 Carat Replaces 19¹/₅ Carat as Standard Gold
1478 Date Letters Introduced
1478 London Assay Office Opened
1544 Lion Mark Introduced for Sterling Silver
1575 22 Carat Replaces 18 Carat as Standard Gold
1681 First Edinburgh Date Letters
1697 Britannia Mark Introduced for Silver
1701 Castle Mark Introduced for Exeter
1720 Sterling Silver Standard Re-admitted
1731 Hibernia Mark Introduced for Dublin
1759 Thistle Mark Introduced for Edinburgh
1773 Birmingham Assay Office Opened
1773 Sheffield Assay Office Opened
1774 Duty Mark Imposed
1798 18 Carat Reintroduced in Addition to 22 Carat
1819 Lion Rampant Mark Introduced for Glasgow
1842 Customs Act Requiring Foreign Goods to Have British Hallmark
1854 9 Carat Introduced
1854 12 Carat Introduced
1854 15 Carat Introduced
1856 York Assay Office Closed
1867 Foreign Mark Introduced
1882 Exeter Assay Office Closed
1890 Duty Mark Dropped
1904 Carat Marks Compulsory on Gold
1932 12 Carat Mark Discontinued
1932 15 Carat Mark Discontinued
1932 14 Carat Introduced
1934 - 1935 Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1952 - 1953 Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1953 - 1954 Coronation Mark Used
1962 Chester Assay Office Closed
1964 Glasgow Assay Office Closed
1973 Hallmarking Act
1974 British Hallmarking Council Formed
1976 Platinum Mark Introduced

1976 UK Ratifies Convention Mark

1977 Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1998 Revised Hallmarking Acts
1999 New Acts Become Effective
1999 - 2000 Millennium Mark Used

...at the Lowest Possible Price

521 Lytham Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 1RJ, England.
Telephone (44) - (0) 1253 - 343081 & 316238; Fax 408058; E-mail:
The URL for our main page is: http://www.24carat.co.uk/index.html

Web Design by Snoop

Date	Event
1300	Hallmarking introduced in UK
1378	Town Marks Introduced
1477	18 Carat Replaces 19¹/₅ Carat as Standard Gold
1478	Date Letters Introduced
1478	London Assay Office Opened
1544	Lion Mark Introduced for Sterling Silver
1575	22 Carat Replaces 18 Carat as Standard Gold
1681	First Edinburgh Date Letters
1697	Britannia Mark Introduced for Silver
1701	Castle Mark Introduced for Exeter
1720	Sterling Silver Standard Re-admitted
1731	Hibernia Mark Introduced for Dublin
1759	Thistle Mark Introduced for Edinburgh
1773	Birmingham Assay Office Opened
1773	Sheffield Assay Office Opened
1774	Duty Mark Imposed
1798	18 Carat Reintroduced in Addition to 22 Carat
1819	Lion Rampant Mark Introduced for Glasgow
1842	Customs Act Requiring Foreign Goods to Have British Hallmark
1854	9 Carat Introduced
1854	12 Carat Introduced
1854	15 Carat Introduced
1856	York Assay Office Closed
1867	Foreign Mark Introduced
1882	Exeter Assay Office Closed
1890	Duty Mark Dropped
1904	Carat Marks Compulsory on Gold
1932	12 Carat Mark Discontinued
1932	15 Carat Mark Discontinued
1932	14 Carat Introduced
1934 - 1935	Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1952 - 1953	Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1953 - 1954	Coronation Mark Used
1962	Chester Assay Office Closed
1964	Glasgow Assay Office Closed
1973	Hallmarking Act
1974	British Hallmarking Council Formed
1976	Platinum Mark Introduced

1976	UK Ratifies Convention Mark

1977	Silver Jubilee Mark Used
1998	Revised Hallmarking Acts
1999	New Acts Become Effective
1999 - 2000	Millennium Mark Used