Editing Hallmark (section)

====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>)