A Brief History Of The UK Compulsory Hallmark.

From the time of the Late Middle Ages, hallmarking was administered by local governors through authorised assayers. These assayers examined precious metal objects, under the endorsement of the state, before the object could be offered for public sale.

In !300 King Edward I enacted a stature requiring that all silver articles must meet the Sterling Silver Standard of 92.5.% pure silver. The articles must be assayed in this regard by 'guardians of the craft' who would then mark the item with a leopards head.

In 1327 King Edward III granted a charter to the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known today, as the Goldsmiths Company, based at Goldsmiths' Hall, London.

They continue this service to this day, along with the UK's other 3 Assay Offices.

Copy & paste the link below to find out how to read hallmarks.

https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/hallmarking/uk-hallmarks