Editing Hallmark (section)

===Late Middle Ages===
From the Late [[Middle Ages]], hallmarking was administered by local governments through authorized assayers. These assayers examined precious metal objects, under the auspices of the state, before the object could be offered for public sale. By the age of the craft guilds, the authorized examiner's mark was the "master's mark", which consisted frequently of his initials and/or the coat of arms of the goldsmith or silversmith. At one time, there was no distinction between silversmiths and goldsmiths, who were all referred to as ''orfèvres'', the French word for goldsmith. The master craftsman was responsible for the quality of the work that left his [[Studio|''atelier'']] or workshop, regardless of who made the item. Hence the responsibility mark is still known today in French as ''le poinçon de maître'' literally "the maker's punch". In this period, fineness was more or less standardized in the major European nations (writ:{{clarify|date=July 2016}} France and England) at 20 [[Carat (purity)|karat]]s for gold and 12 to 13 lots{{clarify|date=July 2016}} (75% to 81%) for silver, but the standards could only be partly enforced, owing to the lack of precise analytical tools and techniques.

[[File:Jewelry hallmark .png|thumb|left|upright|Jewelry hallmark: [[Dirce Repossi]]]]

====France====
Hallmarking is Europe's earliest form of [[consumer protection]]. Modern hallmarking in Europe appears  first in France, with the Goldsmiths Statute of 1260<ref>{{cite web|url=http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/Visualiseur?Destination=Gallica&O=NUMM-110190|title=Gallica -|website=visualiseur.bnf.fr|access-date=2008-06-10|archive-date=2018-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180522052522/http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/Visualiseur?Destination=Gallica&O=NUMM-110190|url-status=live}}</ref> promulgated under [[Étienne Boileau]], [[Provost of Paris]], for [[Louis IX of France|King Louis IX]]. A standard for silver was thus established. In 1275, King [[Philip III of France|Philip III]] prescribed, by royal decree, the mark for use on silver works, along with specific punches for each community's smiths. In 1313, his successor, [[Philippe IV]] "the Fair" expanded the use of hallmarks to gold works.

====England====

In 1300 [[Edward I of England|King Edward I of England]] enacted a statute requiring that all silver articles must meet the [[sterling silver]] standard (92.5% pure silver) and must be assayed in this regard by 'guardians of the craft' who would then mark the item with a leopard's head.  In 1327 [[Edward III of England|King Edward III of England]] granted a charter to the [[Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths]] (more commonly known as the Goldsmiths' Company), marking the beginning of the company's formal existence. This entity was headquartered in London at [[Goldsmiths' Hall]], from whence the English term "hallmark" is derived.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hallmark|url=http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hallmark|website=Dictionary.com|access-date=2 October 2017|archive-date=24 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924130529/http://www.dictionary.com/browse/hallmark|url-status=live}}</ref> (In the UK the use of the term "hallmark" was first recorded in this sense in 1721 and in the more general sense as a "mark of quality" in 1864.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hallmark |title=Online Etymology Dictionary |publisher=Etymonline.com |access-date=2011-12-11 |archive-date=2012-10-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013033809/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=hallmark |url-status=live }}</ref>)

====Switzerland====
In 1424, the French cardinal [[Jean de Brogny]], after consulting a council of eight Master Goldsmiths from [[Geneva]], enacted a regulation on the purity and hallmarking of silver objects (following the French standards) for application in Geneva.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title=Historical Review of the Swiss Precious Metals Control Act Focused on Platinoids|journal = Johnson Matthey Technology Review|volume = 62|issue = 3|pages = 263–270|last=Zaffalon|first=Pierre-Léonard|date=2018-04-01|language=en|doi=10.1595/205651318x696701|doi-access=free}}</ref> Although gold was used for articles, the regulation was silent on standards and hallmarking for gold.<ref>{{cite book |last=Babel |first=Antony |title=Histoire corporative de l'horlogerie, de l'orfèvrerie et des industries annexes |date=1916 |page=4 |language=fr |location=Geneva |publisher=A. Jullien, George & Co. |series=Mémoires et Documents publiés par la Société d’Histoire et d’Archéologie de Genève |volume=33 |oclc=2235476 }}<br>{{cite journal |last=Kunz |first= George F. |date=April 1917 |title=Reviewed Work: ''Histoire Corporative de l'Horlogerie, de l'Orfèvrerie et des Industries Annexes'' by Antony Babel |journal=The American Historical Review |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=631–633 |doi=10.2307/1842663 |doi-access=free |jstor=1842663 |jstor-access=free |hdl=2027/njp.32101043186319 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>
In Switzerland today,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Flocco |first=Luis S. |title=An Explanation of Swiss Hallmarks on Gold Watchcases |journal=NAWCC Bulletin |issn=1527-1609 |date=December 2005 |volume=47 |issue=359 |pages=686–699 |publisher=[[National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors|National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors, Inc.]] |url=http://www.nawcc.org/images/stories/2000/articles/2005/359/359_686.pdf |access-date=2019-01-16 |archive-date=2017-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101002628/http://www.nawcc.org/images/stories/2000/articles/2005/359/359_686.pdf |url-status=live }}<br>See also: {{cite journal |last1=Flocco |last2=Strasser |title=Schweizer Punzen auf Uhrgehäusen in Gold |journal=Chronométrophilia Bulletin |date=Summer 2007 |issue=61 |pages=61–90 |language=de |publisher=[[Chronometrophilia|Chronométrophilia (The Swiss Association for the History of Timekeeping)]] |location=La Chaux-de-Fonds }}</ref> only precious metal watch cases must be hallmarked.<ref>[http://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/00433/index.html?lang=fr Swiss Customs] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070409074854/http://www.ezv.admin.ch/ezv/00433/index.html?lang=fr |date=2007-04-09 }}</ref> The hallmarking of other items including silverware and jewelry is optional.