What is the hallmark for Chester silver?

What is the hallmark for Chester silver?

Chester Assay Office The earliest pieces of Chester silver were struck with a hallmark depicting the three wheatsheaves and a sword in a shaped shield.

How do you date silver?

Your silver will have a hallmark called a date letter. This marking will tell you when it was produced. However, the date letters used differ depending on where the silver was assayed. For example, the date letter for 1898 in London is a lowercase c, but in Sheffield, it’s a lowercase f.

What are the hallmark numbers for silver?

“The words ”silver” and ”sterling silver” describe a product that contains 92.5% pure silver. Silver products sometimes may be marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver.

How do you read a silver hallmark?

The standard mark identifies your item as being silver. The mark for sterling silver is the lion passant or the lion passant guardant. Both look like a lion in profile. On earlier pieces of silver the lion is looking toward you, and this is a lion passant guardant.

How do I read silver hallmarks UK?

What markings are on real silver UK?

The hallmarks on a piece of antique British silver typically signify (from left to right): the maker, the purity, the assay office, the date it was assayed and the duty mark (for items from 1784 to 1890).

How do you read British hallmarks?

READING BRITISH SILVER HALLMARKS

1. THE ESSENTIAL POCKET REFERENCE.
2. STEP 1 – LOOK FOR THE STANDARD MARK.
3. STEP 2 – LOOK FOR THE TOWN MARK.
4. STEP 3 – LOOK FOR THE DUTY MARK.
5. STEP 4 – LOOK FOR THE DATE LETTER.
6. STEP 5 – LOOK FOR THE MAKER’S MARK.

How can you tell what year a hallmark is?

The date letter – This symbol will tell you the year in which the item was tested and marked. The sponsor’s mark – This symbol will tell you who submitted the item to the Assay Office to be tested and marked.

How do I read hallmarks?

Metal and fineness (purity) mark The metal and purity mark indicates the content of precious metal in the jewellery. The number corresponds to the fineness of the piece indicated in parts per thousand – the higher the number, the better the quality.

How do you identify silver?

1. Look for markingsor stamps on the silver. Silver will often be stampedwith 925, 900, or 800.
2. Test it with a magnet. Silver, like most preciousmetals, is nonmagnetic.
3. Sniff it. Unlike many othermetals, silver is odorless.
4. Polish it with a soft white cloth.
5. Put a piece of ice on it.

How do you read silver hallmarks?