The Silver Standard: The Heritage of Hallmarks
Behind each fine object are clues to the story of the places it came from, and the people who created it. This tale has been told by the silver hallmark for centuries.
Over 700 years ago, England’s King Edward I implemented government-sponsored consumer protection to prevent gold and silver frauds¹. The statute ensured the exact composition of a precious metal, as guaranteeing purity is impossible by an untrained eye.
The law, which is still in place today, requires that the item pass through an assay office to ensure its purity before being sold to the public. Silver must meet a certain fineness of 92.5% to reach the sterling standard.² Once verified, the object receives the government’s official stamp of approval: the hallmark.
This history of markings reflects a dedication to heritage and craftsmanship that spans generations.
This history of markings reflects a dedication to heritage and craftsmanship that spans generations.
The Eittem graphic icon system, in fact, draws inspiration from the traditional silver hallmark. Horizontal with minimal spacing between each mark, both the Eittem icon system and U.K. hallmark reveal the object’s origin and maker.
Understanding the U.K. hallmark system is a bit like deciphering code. At first glance, the markings convey intention, but their significance is difficult to grasp without the context of history.
The first mark applied by the assayers, beginning in the 14th century, was a leopard’s head, the determinate stamp of sterling silver. Throughout the next few hundred years, additional marks became standard. The precision of the system deepened, as did the amount of information being recorded. Others included the town mark, if it was assayed outside of London, the date letter, to show who assayed the piece and when, as well as the sponsor's mark, which could represent the master silversmith, retailer, or importer.³
As seen in the image, the “S&P” and peacock represent the maker, Simon Pantin; the “I” indicates the London date letter for 1724-25; the leopard’s head symbolizes the London assay office and the lion passant is the official English mark for sterling.⁴ This precision leaves little room for guesswork in dating and authenticating a piece.
Unlike the traditional silver hallmark, the Eittem icon system is not engraved directly on the bags. The Eittem hallmark, however, employs a comparable method of symbolism. The “e” indicates the maker, Eittem, while “New York” emphasizes the site. The bag shape appears alongside “WLNT,” the abbreviated code for walnut, the material that all bags are made from. The “e” does, however, find a natural home engraved in the chain pendants, attached to the ends of the sterling silver chain. A nod to fine jewelry and the treasured materials we adorn ourselves with, the sterling chain is protected with a coat of rhodium, a platinum metal more valuable than gold.
Alongside other European countries, the British established one of the most intricate silver hallmarking systems in the world, but across the pond in the United States, no formal government system was enacted. One rare exception is the city of Baltimore, where from 1814 to 1830, the government required the assay of silver.⁵ This history of city-prescribed control over silver demonstrates how an appreciation for the precious metal is, in some cases, engraved into local history.
Despite the lack of a national silver hallmark, American companies and makers developed their own systems, allowing for the diversity of silver markings to flourish. Tiffany’s, for instance, developed their own pattern of numbers and markings which dates back to the 19th century.⁶ Over time this creates a sizable archive that speaks to the brand’s history, and the longevity and persistence of its quality.
Hallmarking anchors objects to a particular time and place, ensuring their quality and capturing the human element involved in creation. Through the engraved hallmark, the maker emerges from invisibility, traveling with the object through generations. Silver is intended to last, and most often, it does. No doubt, quality and timelessness are a result of the legacy of craftsmanship.