THE IMPORTANCE OF CORRECT HALLMARKS!

All British items made gold and silver items should carry the proper assay office hallmarks as many items that are just struck with 9k are liable to be all that glitters is not gold.

Proper Hallmarks should consist of at least 4 marks a crown for gold, And a lion passant (on all fours) for England, and a lion rampant for scotland (stood on hind legs ) for silver.

also there should be a makers mark usualy consting of the intials of the maker.

Also the assay office mark, a anchor for Birmingham a rose on gold and a crown on silver for sheffield. A leopards head for london and three castle towers for Edinburgh.

there are other town assay marks from offices long closed which can add a premium to a object, a good subject to study.

and also the date letter which have a 20 yr cycle in different types of script.

from 1784 the 1897 the was a fith mark a duty mark which is the monarchs head,

also for gold can come in 9ct 373 parts per thousand 14ct 585 parts per thousand 18ct 750 parts per thousand and 22ct 916 per thousand,

all sterling silver is 925 per parts pure.

it always better to purchase a item whith these marks made from gold or silver as you are guaranteed to be getting exactly what they say, they are after all the oldest consumer proction system in the world.