For antiques dealers, appraisers and collectors, English sterling silver pieces have a tale to tell in the form of hallmarks stamped on each individual piece. Deciphering these marks shines a light on the age and origin of the piece while burnishing the aficionado's scholarly credentials. Just be sure to bring a discerning eye--and a good magnifying glass.

Up to Five Marks

An article of English sterling silver will bear, as established by law, as many as five distinct stamps: the maker's mark, the sterling silver standard mark, the assay office mark, the date letter, and for pieces made between 1784-1890, the sovereign duty mark. Together, they form an unimpeachable record of authenticity and origin.

Maker's Mark

Let us begin with the maker's mark, which is typically the initials of the silversmith or firm that produced the piece. This mark not only identifies the artisan, but also helps zero in on the date, as makers were, of course, only active for short periods relative to the history of English hallmarks, which date back to 1458. On our exemplary Kiddush cup, we find the initials 'WRS'. As we shall see, however, once the other marks are assessed, the maker's mark only corroborates the date which we already know to the exact year.

Lion Passant Mark

Another mark found on all pieces of sterling silver is the so-called "lion passant", a majestic walking lion in profile. Framed in a shield, this heraldic beast proclaims the silver's sterling standard, a guarantee of purity.

Assay Office Mark

The assay office mark tells us where the silver was tested and hallmarked. For London, this is traditionally the leopard's head. Other city marks included the anchor of Birmingham and variations on castle motifs for Edinburgh, Exeter and Newcastle. Some 75-85 percent of all pieces were assayed in London, and here the leopard's head establishes a cutoff date. Prior to 1822, the leopard's head was crowned; from 1822 onwards, it appeared uncrowned. On this Kiddush cup, the leopard's head is distinctly uncrowned, firmly placing it in the later period.

Letter Year Mark

The most precise indicator of age is the year letter. This single character, changing annually, cycles through 20 letters of the alphabet from 'a' to 'u', omitting 'j'. Roman uppercase, Roman lowercase, Gothic uppercase, and Gothic lowercase help us tell repeating letters apart. The Kiddush cup bears a lowercase 'a', which appears in several cycles: 1776, 1816, 1856, 1896 and 1916. The fact that it is a Gothic 'a' narrows it down to 1856 or 1916.

Sovereign Duty Mark

Finally, we encounter the sovereign duty mark, a profile of the reigning monarch, which served as a tax stamp. This mark was in use only from 1784 to 1890, so its presence on the Kiddush cup settles the matter: the cup was made in 1856. Further supporting the date is the sovereign, Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837-1901. The other sovereign heads are all kings: George III (1784-1820), George IV (1820-30) and William IV (1830-37).

The maker's mark is therefore typically not necessary for establishing the date, unless, the letter year is illegible, as can certainly be the case. Still it is noteworthy that WRS are the initials of the well-documented London silversmith, William Robert Smily, active 1842-58. Smily specialized in "hollow wares", such as cups, teapots, creamers and mustard pots. All this checks out with a Kiddush cup made in 1856.

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Reporting from the Artmink Silver department