Maker’s mark
The mark of the maker, or of whoever sent the piece for hallmarking, usually their initials.
How to read it
Every master goldsmith has had to have a mark of his own since a statute of 1363, which Chaffers and Jackson both date as the first law to mention one. In a British hallmark it sits alongside the assay office’s mark and the standard mark.
Also searched as: maker’s mark hallmark, silversmith’s mark, sponsor’s mark.
A stamp is a claim about the metal, made by whoever struck it. This page says what each mark means under the rules that define it; it doesn’t test or value anything.
More jewellery marks
Sources
- Hall Marks on Gold & Silver Plate (Chaffers, 1922), William Chaffers, Hall Marks on Gold & Silver Plate, 1922 edition, Internet Archive (scan), Statute of 1363
- English Goldsmiths and Their Marks (Jackson, 1905), Charles James Jackson, English Goldsmiths and Their Marks, 1905, Internet Archive (Cornell University Library scan), Act of 1363
Last reviewed September 27, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research