What are Gold Hallmarks?

Gold hallmarks are symbols that verify the purity and authenticity of gold items. These symbols reveal who made a gold item, where it was tested, and how pure the gold is, giving buyers peace of mind that they’re getting what they paid for.

In this blog article, we’ll share all you need to know about gold hallmarks, including the history of hallmarking and how to read and understand gold hallmarks.

What is a hallmark?

Hallmarks are a series of symbols stamped on items made from precious metals like gold, silver, or platinum. They provide assurance of a metal’s purity and quality, as well as information about who made it and where and when it was tested. Hallmarks essentially give buyers confidence that their purchases are authentic and that the metal meets legal standards.

Before 1998, hallmarks included four compulsory marks:

• Maker’s mark: Shows who made the item
• Metal purity mark: Tells how much pure gold, silver, or platinum is in the item
• Assay office mark: Identifies where the item was tested and certified
• Date mark: Indicates the year it was certified – this mark is no longer required.

If you’re wondering if a piece of gold jewellery is real, the hallmark is the easiest way to check. It’s also the most reliable way to confirm an item’s purity and value, which is especially useful if you’re thinking of selling it.

Read: Selling Gold: How to do it right

The history of hallmarking in the UK

The UK has a long tradition of hallmarking that dates back more than 700 years. The practice began in 1300, when English law required all silver items to be at least 92.5% pure (known as Sterling Silver) and gold to be at least 80% pure (equivalent to 19.2 carats at the time – referred to as a ‘touch of Paris’).

To make sure items complied with these rules, precious metals were tested by officials known as the ‘Guardians of the Craft’ who marked approved items with a leopard-head stamp. In the 15th century, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths took over the responsibility of testing and marking precious metals. Their work took place at Goldsmith’s Hall in London, which is where the term ‘hallmarking’ first originated.

As the demand for precious metals items grew, the process of analyzing and certifying these items spread beyond London to regional assay offices across the UK. Today, there are only four of these UK assay offices still in operation in London, Sheffield, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.

Assay offices which were once operational but have now closed include:

• Norwich: Closed in 1702
• York: Closed in 1857
• Exeter: Closed in 1883
• Newcastle: Closed in 1884
• Dublin: Closed in 1922
• Chester: Closed in 1962
• Glasgow: Closed in 1964.

Current assay office marks in the UK

The UK currently has four operational assay offices responsible for testing and hallmarking precious metals. Each office uses a distinctive mark, which means you can identify where an item was assayed.

Current UK assay office marks include:

• London: A leopard’s head has been the symbol for the London assay office since the 14th century, when it was first introduced by King Edward I. This iconic mark has stood the test of time and remains one of the most recognisable assay marks in the world.
• Birmingham: The Birmingham assay office, which was established in 1773, is represented by an anchor symbol. This symbol pays tribute to Birmingham’s historic ties to the naval and maritime industries.
• Sheffield: The original mark of the Sheffield assay office was a crown. In 1974, this was changed to a Yorkshire rose to better reflect the region’s heritage.
• Edinburgh: The Edinburgh assay office uses a three-towered castle as its mark. Between 1759 and 1974, a thistle was also part of the mark, but in 1975 the symbol changed to a lion rampant (a lion standing erect with its forepaws raised), which is still used today.

Read More: Silver Hallmarks - Identifying Silver Marks

Historic assay office marks in the UK

There have been numerous regional offices in the UK over the years, many of which have since closed. You can still find their unique hallmarks on antique gold and silver items, making these types of hallmarked gold jewellery even more special. The UK’s historic assay office marks include:

Norwich assay office mark

The Norwich assay office first used a castle above a lion passant in 1565. In the early 17th century, a seeded rose crowned was added, but this was later replaced by a stemmed rose in the latter half of the century. The Norwich assay office closed in 1702.

York assay office mark

The York assay office opened and closed several times before it finally shut down in 1858, and each iteration had a new mark. The first York assay mark was made of a half leopard head and half fleur-de-lys. Towards the end of the 17th century, the half leopard head was replaced by a half rose seeded.

After reopening briefly one last time, the York assay office adopted a new mark of the cross of St. George with five lions passant. This mark remained in use until the office eventually closed.

Exeter assay office mark

Exeter’s original mark, dating from the mid-16th century, was a crowned letter X within a round shield. When the office was officially established in 1701, the mark was updated to a castle with three turrets. This symbol was later modified in 1721 to feature a leopard’s head and a lion passant within square shields. The Exeter assay office closed in 1883.

Newcastle assay office mark

The Newcastle assay office used a distinctive mark featuring three castles (two on top and one below). In 1720, a leopard’s head crowned was added to the mark and remained in use until the office closed in 1884.

Chester assay office mark

Chester’s hallmark was a shield with the town’s arms, three sheaves of wheat, and a sword. This mark was used until the office closed in 1962.

Glasgow assay office mark

The Glasgow assay office was established in 1819 and identified by a unique mark of a bell, tree, and fish. This mark was in use until the office closed in 1964.

Components of a gold hallmark

There are four components of a gold hallmark:

1. Maker’s mark
2. Standard mark
3. Date mark
4. Assay office mark.

We’ve already looked at current and historic assay office marks, so let’s explore the other components of a hallmark.

Maker’s mark

The maker’s mark, also known as the sponsor’s mark, is a unique stamp identifying the person or company who submitted the gold item for testing. In the past, this mark was usually that of the actual maker, but today it more likely belongs to the importer, wholesaler, or retailer.

Standard mark

The standard mark indicates the metal’s purity and is represented by three numbers that show the gold content as parts per thousand. The number is stamped inside a specific shape to help distinguish between different precious metals. For gold items, the shape is a rectangle with its corners removed, creating an eight-sided outline.

The numerical system we use for standard marks today was made compulsory in 1999, so antique gold might follow a different format. Older gold items – especially those made before 1854 – often use different symbols to indicate purity.

The most common gold purity hallmarks are:

• 999: Pure, 24-carat gold
• 916: 22-carat gold
• 750: 18-carat gold
• 585: 14-carat gold
• 375: 9-carat gold.

If the item was made outside the UK, the numbers may be slightly different, but these are the key ones to look out for.

Keep Reading: Gold Purity, Fineness, And Karat – What Is It And How To Check It

Date marks

Date marks show when an item was tested and hallmarked, which may or may not be the same year it was made. Instead of using numbers, date marks use letters of the alphabet – excluding certain letters like I, J, and L to prevent confusion. Each assay office had its own system for assigning date letters, and often used different styles of lettering and background shapes.

Before the 1973 Hallmarking Act, different assay offices changed date letters at different times of year. For example, the Birmingham assay office changed its date letter every July, while the London assay office did so in May. Since 1975, all UK assay offices have used the same date letter system with letters changing every January.

If you want to identify a date mark, you need to first determine the assay office mark to know which office issued the hallmark. You can then use that office’s reference sheet to match the date letter to the corresponding year.

What if there’s no hallmark?

If you have a gold item with no hallmark, don’t worry, it doesn’t mean it’s not made from real gold! Not all antique gold items have hallmarks. For example, hallmarking wasn’t always required during the Georgian and Victorian eras, and compulsory hallmarking didn’t become law until the 1920s. On top of that, many items made before the 1950s were exempt from modern hallmarking requirements.

It’s also important to note that gold bullion items, like bars and coins, do not have hallmarks. Most of them will be stamped with the item’s purity (precious metal content), but the hallmarks we’ve spoken about in this article are typically only found in gold jewellery and other decorative items.

See: How to Spot Fake Gold Bars: A Comprehensive Guide for Buyers

Other gold hallmarks

In 1972, the UK became a signatory to the International Convention on Hallmarks, an agreement that allows participating countries to recognise each other’s hallmarks. This introduced the Common Control Mark (CCM), a hallmark that includes a balance scales symbol with the fineness shown as parts per thousand.

Following a 1999 European Court of Justice ruling, the UK is required to recognise hallmarks from other European nations if they contain a maker’s mark, purity or fineness mark, and a mark from a recognised assay office.

Countries that meet this criteria include Denmark, Finland, Portugal, Ireland, and Switzerland. France, Greece, Italy, Belgium, and Luxembourg do not meet the criteria, which means their precious metal items must be hallmarked in the UK or another signatory nation before being legally sold in the UK.

Under UK law, it’s illegal to sell or describe any manufactured item (besides coins) as gold, palladium, silver, or platinum unless it has been hallmarked. This applies to all items weighing:

• 1 gram for gold or palladium
• 7.78 grams for silver
• 0.5 grams for platinum.

To obtain a hallmark, the item must be submitted to an approved assay office for testing. If the item passes the tests, it’ll be stamped with a hallmark to confirm its purity and authenticity.

Does gold bullion have hallmarks?

When it comes to hallmarking, gold bullion bars and coins are treated differently to other gold items. Because bullion is considered a raw material, it doesn’t require a hallmark to verify its purity. Instead, gold bars and coins are stamped with:

• Refiner or manufacturer’s logo
• Metal type and fineness
• Weight.

These markings act as a certification of quality and ensures that bullion products meet LBMA standards.

See: LBMA: All You Need to Know

Buy LBMA-approved gold bullion

Because gold bullion bars and coins don’t require the same hallmarking as other gold items, the best way to ensure high quality, purity, and authenticity is to purchase LBMA-approved bars and coins. These products are produced by refineries that meet the strict requirements set by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), guaranteeing that the gold content is accurately marked and meets international standards.

At StoneX Bullion, we only sell gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bullion that meets LBMA standards. Whether you’re after a gold bullion bar or wearable bullion jewellery, you can shop with confidence knowing all our products are genuine and literally worth their weight in gold.