What are silver hallmarks?
Hallmarks are official marks struck into silver by an approved assay office to guarantee the metal's purity. In the UK, hallmarking has been compulsory since 1300, making British silver among the most reliably documented in the world.
A complete British hallmark consists of several individual marks stamped side by side, each carrying specific information. Together they tell you the silver content, where it was made, which office tested it, and when.
Key fact: Under the Hallmarking Act 1973, it is a criminal offence to sell or describe an item as silver in the UK if it has not been hallmarked by an approved UK assay office.
The standard mark, purity
The most important mark. It certifies the silver content of the piece:
These are stylised schematics, drawn to show each mark's distinguishing features (a lion walking versus a lion rearing, a seated Britannia, a crowned leopard's head) rather than facsimiles of the punches themselves. Real marks are only 2–3mm across, vary in shape and detail by assay office and period, and are often worn. Always compare a piece against photographic reference, such as the Sheffield Assay Office mark identification pages.
The lion passant is the single most important thing to look for. A walking lion = genuine sterling silver = 92.5% pure silver. If you can see this mark, you have solid silver.
The assay office mark
Identifies which UK assay office tested and marked the piece. Four offices are currently active, and one of them has changed its mark within living memory, which matters when dating a Sheffield piece:
The date letter
An alphabetical letter indicating the year the piece was hallmarked. Each assay office used a different typeface and shield shape, and the alphabet cycled with different start letters, which is why specialist date letter tables are needed for precise dating.
For valuation purposes, the exact year is less important than confirming the piece is genuine silver. That said, pre-1900 pieces may carry additional antique value beyond their metal content.
The maker's mark
A set of initials or a symbol identifying the manufacturer or silversmith who submitted the piece for hallmarking. This is struck by the maker before the piece is sent to the assay office. On major Sheffield silversmiths' work, the maker's mark is often recognisable to specialists.
Reading hallmarks in practice
Hallmarks on older pieces can be very small, often 2-3mm, and worn with age. Here is how to read them:
- Use a loupe or magnifying glass. 10× magnification is ideal
- Know where to look: inside spoon stems near the bowl, on fork tines or stems, inside rings, on the underside of flatware handles, near the hinge on boxes, on the base or handle area of teapots
- Canteens: each individual piece should carry its own hallmarks: check several items rather than just one
- Good lighting: raking light (light from the side) makes worn marks visible that are invisible under direct overhead light
EPNS and silver plate, what to watch for
Not everything that looks silver is silver. Common marks on plated items that are not solid silver:
- EPNS, Electroplated Nickel Silver. Not silver at all, nickel alloy with a silver coating.
- EP or E.P., Electroplated. Not silver.
- A1, A, BEST, EXTRA: trade quality marks used on plated items to indicate plating thickness. None of these indicate solid silver.
- ALPACA or ALPACCA, a silver-coloured nickel alloy. Not silver.
- Sheffield Plate: a pre-1840 technique fusing silver to copper. Collectible as antique but the silver content is minimal.
If you cannot find a lion passant on a piece of British flatware or hollowware, it is almost certainly not solid silver. We only buy solid silver, not plated items.
Numeric purity marks
Post-1999, numeric fineness marks became standard alongside traditional symbols under EU harmonisation:
- 999: fine silver (99.9%)
- 958, Britannia silver (95.8%)
- 925: sterling silver (92.5%)
- 800: silver (80%, common on continental European silver)
On modern pieces you may see the numeric mark alone, or alongside traditional symbols. Both are valid hallmarks.
What hallmarked silver is worth
Once you have confirmed a lion passant, you have 925 sterling silver: 92.5% pure. At today's silver spot price, InstaSilver pays 80% of the live spot rate for all verified silver, calculated precisely to the gram by weight and purity.
Use our live calculator to see your exact payout based on today's prices.