How do I read and interpret English Sterling Silver Hallmarks?

How do I read and interpret English Sterling Silver Hallmarks? There are effectively 5 different hallmarks usually on a piece of English Silver:

1. The Makers Mark - This mark designates the maker or manufacturer of the silver item. These marks can vary greatly in shapes and sizes and will typically have multiple letters. The above example has a "PS" which stands for Paul Storr.

2. The Purity Mark - In the above photo you will see the lion with its paw up which is called the "lion passant." This has been the English purity mark for 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper since the early 1200's. If you don't see this purity mark, then your piece is likely silver plated.

3. The City Mark - This mark designates the city mark of origin where the piece was made. In the above example the city mark represents the city of London. Each city in England has its own symbol.

4. The Date Mark - This hallmarks represents the date in which the piece was made. In the above example this date letter represents the year 1805.

5. The Regent Mark - This stamp represents the king or queen that was reigning when the piece was manufactured. In the above example this symbol represents King George III who was the king of England in the year 1805 when this piece was made.

Once you know how to read these English hallmarks you can then either find a silver marks website and then find tables that show corresponding date letters, city marks and makers marks accordingly. There are also a numerous amount of printed source books that show these marks that you can either purchase on Ebay or Amazon or possibly even find at your local library.

Here is a sample of some of the tables that you will find where you can match up the marks on your English silver pieces to the ones in the list to help you pinpoint the origin and age of your items.

Sampled from the book International Hallmarks on Silver collected by Tardy

Sampled from the book International Hallmarks on Silver collected by Tardy

Print Book: International Hallmarks on Silver collected by Tardy - This is our favorite reference book on finding and interpreting your English Hallmarks - available on Ebay or Amazon for between $50- $100 in both English and French Editions.

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