Understanding Hallmarks in Victorian Silver
Dear Diva Readers,
While I was in Italy on a Antiques Diva To-the-Trade Tour, I asked William Robinson of Loveday Antiques - an interior design consultant who has built up a knowledge and appreciation of antiques over the years – to guest blog today at The Antiques Diva & Co. William currently works for an antique furniture shop in London who specialise in modern art and a range of antique furniture pieces but he loves silver and today he’ll be explaining “Understanding Hallmarks in Victorian Silver”
William writes:
People who collect English Victorian silver can get the best value by collecting silver that bears clear hallmarks. German silversmiths were brought to England by Henry II, and the tradition of English hallmarks originated about 1300 during the Reign of Edward I. The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and Silversmiths were the first to enforce the current standard of 92.5 percent sterling and 7.5 percent alloy. The Goldsmith’s Hall served as the authoritative branch for both goldsmiths and silversmiths, and the word “hallmark” derived from the need to show the authority of the Goldsmith’s hall in a clear and definitive way.
Hallmarks became necessary to keep silversmiths from producing items which did not meet the sterling standard. Some silversmiths tried to cut corners by counterfeiting hallmarks and reducing the silver content in their products. The result of this was harsh punishment, and by 1757, silversmiths who passed off diluted silver using fake hallmarks could be sentenced to death.
To ensure the quality of British silver, each piece of English silver from 1300 onward had four marks: the standard, town, date, and silversmith. Each silver item was required to pass the 92.5% silver quality test at the local assay office, and the marks were stamped on the pieces after they passed the test.
Image from: Antique Marks.com
The town mark is often of interest to collectors because it can tell you a great deal about the piece. These marking’s were chosen due to idiosyncrasies connected with the town of origin and, therefore, have historical interest. Silver stamped with a mysterious or rare town mark will often increase the value of a piece.
Part of the hallmark is still prevalent today and the date letter mark is still being used. The date mark shows the assay date when the piece is tested for sterling content, and the letter is assigned and changed each year. The silversmith’s or maker’s mark is like the artist’s signature and allowed the buyer or the authorities to trace an item back to the specific maker. The mark underwent several changes until it became the initials of the maker’s first and last name.
If you see a shield with an “F” stamped inside that will tell you that you are not looking at a piece of English silver. The “F” indicates a foreign origin, and you have no assurance of the amount of silver in the piece. You should also beware of blurred marks which indicate that they have been made with brass dies, rather than steel. This means that you might be looking at a forged piece of silver which probably has lower silver content and possible low quality workmanship.
During the Victorian era, sterling plating was used and was stamped to show it had been “quadruple plated”. While some Victorian silversmiths used a silver plate method, they were still bound by British law to produce silver that was 92.5% pure if they were going to sell it as British sterling.
Sheffield silversmiths began to form sterling silver into sheets and bound it to a copper sheet. They then hammered and formed this into shape for much less than the cost of sterling. They succeeded with this because they did not attempt to pass Sheffield plate off as sterling, so they were not required to pass the tests at the local assay office. You can identify Sheffield plate by its mark, which is a crown, a lion, or the profile of a man’s head. You can also sometimes see the copper showing through on Sheffield plate. Some Sheffield plate is very collectible, but not for its silver content.
While Sheffield plate may not be a strong investment in terms of the silver content, there are some beautiful English Art Nouveau pieces that are known for their adherence to the British sterling rule. These pieces were created by companies like Liberty & Co. and Omar Ramsden, virtual icons in the art nouveau movement. Anything produced by Liberty or Ramsden is a highly valuable collector’s item and their beautifully crafted pieces include sterling silver house hold items, fashion accessories and jewellery.
As long as you carefully inspect your Victorian silver for the proper markings, then you may find a beautiful piece of Victorian silver that will not only hold its value as an antique but also as an investment in a semi-precious metal.
Enjoy!
That was SO interesting. Thank you for the great article about silver “hallmarks”. I had no idea that it was even called a hallmark until reading your very informative article. Great education!!
Thank you Jill, I’m so glad you liked it, collecting silver has been a passion of mine for a long time and in the earlier days I bought a few piece without really knowing what I was looking at in terms of the hall marks. I have had to learn and wanted to pass this information on.
Thanks William for your post! I agree with Jill that silver is such a mystifying purchase and you helped de-mystify it!
A brilliant article, interesting and summarised well. I often think that as antique dealers we are lucky that sterling silver was subject to firm hallmarking guidelines. It is because of this that we can easily provide an exact date and location of manufacture to our customers.
Now if only maker’s marks were quite so simple..
In turbulent economic times people have traditionally turned to precious metals to preserve and protect their wealth. In today’s world, with rising levels of government debt, out of control spending and persistent high levels of unemployment more and more people are investing in gold and silver for financial security. This is a smart decision.
Excellent summary, thank you. I need to trace an ancestor who was a silver smith in London during the early to mid 19th century. His name was William Foster Christmas…and that’s all I have at the moment!
Where to begin??! Did he have a hallmark? Did we manufacture for clients who finished the items and thus his contribution (“mark”) was invisible (ie unrecorded)? How could I find a piece of his work, especiially if he didn’t use a hallmark?
Any suggestions or directions very gratefull received.
Best wishes
David
Yes, understanding hallmarks is cruicial.We often get asked from international customers “how can you tell if an item is unique and not fake?” In countries such as China there are lots of items claiming to be sterling silver which in fact aren’t. The hallmarking system helps antique dealers authenticate such pieces.