Marks/Stamps of Quality

To protect the consumer further, it is mandatory that high quality silver be stamped with identifying marks. But before silver items are stamped with it, these must first be sent to an Assay Office for testing. Once the products pass the standards of the Assay office, the items can then stamped to indicate the metal content (92.5%), year of manufacture (a date letter that changes every year), and the trademark of the maker. Sometimes, the town where the assay was conducted can also be seen.

Silver pieces that meet the 92.5% standard are stamped with:

The Lion Passant in England
The Lion Rampant in Scotland ; and
The Crowned Harp in Ireland

In 1697, a higher standard called Britannia (95.8%) was established to prevent the conversion of silver coins into silverware. After the year 1720, the use of the Britannia standard was no longer made compulsory, however, it is still authorized. Britannia Silver are considered rare thus, these command a higher price. Britannia Silver in England and Scotland carry the Britannia mark.

To verify the quality of the silver pieces being purchased, always look for the marks of quality that are usually stamped on the underside of the silver.