Editing Hallmark (section)

==Modern hallmarks==
[[Image:Poinçon or.JPG|thumb|Hallmark for gold]]
[[File:Closeup view of the hallmarks in an antique silver spoon from Colonial era, photographed in West Bengal, India, December 7, 2023.jpg|thumb|Closeup view of the hallmarks in an antique silver spoon from China]]
In the modern world, in an attempt at standardizing the legislation on the inspection of precious metals and to facilitate international trade, in November 1972 a core group of European nations signed the Vienna Convention on the Control of the Fineness and the Hallmarking of Precious Metal Objects.<ref>{{cite web |date=20 November 2012 |title=Background to the Hallmarking Convention |website=Hallmarking Convention |publisher=PIC/S |url=http://www.hallmarkingconvention.org/background.php |access-date=31 December 2016 |archive-date=13 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191113103231/http://www.hallmarkingconvention.org/background.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> Articles which are assayed and found by the qualifying office of a signatory country to conform to the standard, receive a mark, known as the [[Common Control Mark]] (CCM), attesting to the material's fineness. The multi-tiered motif of the CCM is the balance scales, superimposed, for gold, on two intersecting circles; for platinum, a diamond shape and for silver a mark in the shape of the Latin letter "M".

This mark is recognized in all the other contracting states, including: Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine (see links below). Other nations monitor the activities of the convention and may apply for membership.

Complete international hallmarking has been plagued by difficulties, because even amongst countries which have implemented hallmarking, standards and enforcement vary considerably, making it difficult for one country to accept another's hallmarking as equivalent to its own. While some countries permit a variance from the marked fineness of up to 10 parts per thousand, others do not permit any variance (known as negative tolerance) at all.<ref>{{cite web |date=11 May 2014 |title=Which carat gold should I choose? |website=Astratelli |url=http://astratelli.com/blog/carat-gold/ |access-date=14 May 2014 |archive-date=15 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515140921/http://astratelli.com/blog/carat-gold/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many nations abide by the Vienna system and procedures are in place to allow additional nations to join the Vienna Convention. Similarly, with the consent of all the current member states, the terms of the convention may be amended.

The most significant item currently up for debate is the recognition of palladium as a precious metal. Some member nations recognize palladium as a precious metal while others do not.

===Poland===
[[File:Polskie cechy probiercze.jpg|thumb|left|The Polish hallmarks 1963–1986]]
Hallmarks for gold, palladium, platinum and silver from Poland. Official Polish hallmarks between 1963 and 1986
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===France===
[[File:Francuskie próby złota i srebra.jpg|thumb|left| The French hallmarks 1798–1972]]
Official French Hallmarks used between 1798 and 1972 for gold and silver.
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[[File:Nieoficjalna francuska próba złota " głowa konia "stosowana w oznaczeniu 18k złota.jpg|thumb|left|The French hallmarks 1838–1919 not official]]
French mark head of horse for jewellery and watches from 18k gold made in the French provinces between 1838 and 1919
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===United Kingdom===
{{multiple image|perrow=1|total_width=200
|image1= Assayoffices.png
|caption1=The [[assay office]] marks – from left to right, the [[leopard]]'s head of [[London]], the [[anchor]] of [[Birmingham]], the [[Yorkshire rose]] of [[Sheffield]], and the [[castle]] of [[Edinburgh]]. The assay office marks are no longer an indicator that an item was assayed in the city, or in the UK.
|image2=AOB Offshore Hallmark India.png
|caption2=Offshore hallmark used by Birmingham Assay Office's subsidiary in India. Precious metal objects assayed and marked outside of the UK must carry a mark which distinguishes them from items assayed in the UK.
}}

The [[Hallmarking Act 1973]] (c. 43) made Britain a member of the Vienna Convention as well as introducing marking for platinum, a recognised metal under the convention.  All four remaining assay offices finally adopted the same date letter sequences. In 1999 changes were made to the UK hallmarking system to bring the system closer into line with the [[European Union]].  Note that under this latest enactment, the date letter is no longer a compulsory part of the hallmark.<ref>{{cite web |title=Convention & Other Legal Marks |website=The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office |publisher=The Goldsmiths' Company |url=https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/hallmarking/convention-other-legal-marks |access-date=31 December 2016 |archive-date=1 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101003129/https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/hallmarking/convention-other-legal-marks |url-status=live }}</ref>

A [[legislative reform order]] (LRO) came into effect on 8 February 2013 giving UK assay offices the legal right to strike hallmarks outside of UK territory. In July 2016 [[Birmingham Assay Office]] began striking Birmingham hallmarks in Mumbai, India and further offshore offices are likely to be established. In March 2018 the British Hallmarking Council announced that UK assay office marks struck offshore must be distinguishable from those struck in the UK. It is likely that an 'offshore' assay mark will have to be added to signify that the item was not assayed in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/737418/bhc-hallmarking-overseas-consultation-council-full-response.pdf |title=Consultation on hallmarking by UK Assay Offices at overseas sub-offices: British Hallmarking Council full response |publisher=British Hallmarking Council |access-date=2019-07-17 |archive-date=2019-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717105734/https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/737418/bhc-hallmarking-overseas-consultation-council-full-response.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Only [[The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office|London]] and [[Edinburgh Assay Office|Edinburgh]] assay offices now strike marks exclusively in the UK.

As it now stands, the compulsory part of the UK hallmark consists of the sponsor or maker's mark, the assay office mark, and the standard of fineness (in this case silver, 925 parts in 1,000). [[Image:Example Hallmarks.png|frame|right|Examples of British hallmarks for 925 silver]]
These are shown in the top of the two example hallmarks.  The bottom example shows the extra marks that can also be struck, the lion passant, indicating Sterling silver, the date mark (lowercase ''a'' for the year 2000), and in this example, the 'Millennium mark', which was only available for the years 1999 and 2000.  The bottom example bears the Yorkshire rose mark for the Sheffield Assay Office.<ref>{{cite web |title=UK Hallmarks |website=The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office |publisher=The Goldsmiths' Company |url=https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/hallmarking/uk-hallmarks |access-date=31 December 2016 |archive-date=1 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101003144/https://www.assayofficelondon.co.uk/hallmarking/uk-hallmarks |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Hallmarking Act was amended in July 2009 to include palladium from January 2010.<ref>{{cite journal | year = 2010 | title = Palladium Hallmarking in the UK | journal = Platinum Metals Review | volume = 54 | issue = 1| pages = 51–52 | doi = 10.1595/003214010X482375 | last1 = Organ | first1 = R. M. | doi-access = free }}</ref>

===Switzerland===
Although hallmarking in the Swiss territories dates back to Geneva in the fifteenth century, there was no uniform system of hallmarking in Switzerland until 1881.  Before that time, hallmarking was undertaken at the local level by the Swiss cantons.  With the introduction of Federal hallmarking laws starting in 1881, increased uniformity was established.<ref>{{cite web |title=Swiss Hallmarks |website=Swiss Hallmarks |url=http://www.swisshallmarks.com/ |access-date=8 January 2019 |archive-date=27 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127021812/http://www.swisshallmarks.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":0" />

[[File:Watch cases hallmarks.jpg|thumb|center|800x200px|alt=Official Swiss hallmarks before August 1, 1995 |The Swiss hallmarks used on the watch cases]]

[[File:Barry large.jpg|right|thumb|The official hallmark used for all precious metals and all fineness standards since 1995, the "head of a St. Bernard dog"]]
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right;margin-top:auto;width:auto;min-width:300px"
|+ Distinctive symbols appear in place of the "X" on the ear of the St. Bernard dog.
|-
! scope="col" | Place
! scope="col" | Symbol
|-
|{{rh}}| Biel / Bienne || B
|-
|{{rh}}| Basel || *
|-
|{{rh}}| Chiasso || T
|-
|{{rh}}| Geneva  || G
|-
|{{rh}}| La Chaux-de-Fonds || C
|-
|{{rh}}| Le Noirmont || J
|-
|{{rh}}| Zurich || Z
|}

Under the current law, on all gold, silver, platinum or palladium watches cases made in Switzerland or imported into Switzerland, there shall be affixed,<ref>{{cite web |date=1 January 2011 |title=941.31 Loi fédérale du 20 juin 1933 sur le contrôle du commerce des métaux précieux et des ouvrages en métaux précieux (Loi sur le contrôle des métaux précieux, LCMP) |website=Le Conseil fédéral |url=http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/941_31/index.html |language=fr |access-date=30 May 2007 |archive-date=6 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070706155703/http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/941_31/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> near the Maker's Responsibility Mark and his indication of purity, the official Hallmark, the head of a [[St. Bernard (dog)|Saint Bernard dog]]. Only precious metal watch cases must be hallmarked. Swiss hallmarking for other articles such as jewelry and cutlery is optional.

In addition to the Swiss hallmark, all precious metal goods may be stamped with the Common Control Mark of the Vienna Convention.
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===Netherlands===
The Netherlands, who are members of the International hallmarking Convention, have been striking hallmarks since at least 1814. Like many other nations, the Netherlands require the registration and use of Responsibility Marks, however, perhaps somewhat unusual, there is a book published entitled "Netherlands' Responsibility Marks since 1797" (in three volumes and in the English language) illustrating all the responsibility marks registered there since that time. This is significant since producers that exported precious metal goods to the Netherlands would have been required to register their marks.

The Dutch government markets their assay services/office as the "Jewellery Gateway in and to Europe." The Netherlands' hallmarks are also recognized in other EU countries and thus can be sold in Austria, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom without further testing. The Netherlands' hallmarks are also recognized in Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, which have voluntary hallmarking systems.

One of the two Dutch assay offices, WaarborgHolland b.v., is located in Gouda between the [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol|Amsterdam]] and [[Rotterdam The Hague Airport|Rotterdam]] airports. The other one is located in Joure, called Edelmetaal Waarborg Nederland b.v. The Netherlands recognises platinum, gold, silver and palladium as precious metals.

===India===
The BIS ([[Bureau of Indian Standards]]) Hallmark is a hallmarking system for gold as well as silver jewellery sold in India certifying the purity of the metal. It certifies that the piece of jewellery conforms to a set of standards laid by the Bureau of Indian Standards, the national standards organization of India.