ASCAS Association of Small Collectors of Antique Silver ASSOCIATION OF SMALL COLLECTORS OF ANTIQUE SILVER
ASCAS
 versione italiana article # 70
home

next

previous
by Giovanni Ciceri - www.argentinglesi.com
 
(click on photos to enlarge images)

BRITISH AND IRISH COMMEMORATIVE HALLMARKS

(- part 1 -)

A number of hallmarks are struck on silverware crafted in Great Britain and Ireland to certify the fineness of silver (lion passant, crowned leopard head, thistle, lion rampant, crowned harp), the place and date of hallmarking (Assay Office hallmark and date letter), the payment of the duty on silver to the Royal Crown (the sovereign head and the Hibernia).
All these hallmarks are or have been compulsory (at least till the turn of last century), with some exceptions for little items approved from time to time. More detailed information about the silver and gold hallmarking in Great Britain and Ireland can be found at the following link http://www.argentinglesi.com/marchi-garanziaing.php
Since 1935 a number of hallmarks (usually optional ones) have been approved and struck on silverware to commemorate some important events such as the sovereign coronation and jubilee, historical anniversaries, the new millennium, etc.
British and Irish commemorative silver pieces represent a sector of collection very interesting for their historical implications, mainly related to the British monarchy. The items bearing commemorative hallmarks are often very fine replicas of ancient and historical pieces.
Commemorative items have obviously been crafted also before 1935 and in this case no dedicated hallmarks can be found on them.
The following examples refer to commemorative silverware with both no dedicated hallmarks and bearing commemorative hallmarks
 

COMMEMORATIVE SILVERWARE WITH SPECIFIC HALLMARKS (IRELAND)

Silver hallmarking in Ireland has been very similar to the British one since 1494. The evolution of the hallmarking system followed, although at different times, the English and Scottish ones (introduction of the standard hallmark, maker mark, date letter, and duty mark).
Since 1807 the two systems definitively merged and also in Ireland the duty mark became the sovereign head, instead of the Hibernia which was then adopted as the symbol of the Assay Office of Dublin.
After the act of independence (1922) the Irish hallmarking system did not substantially change, but (apart in the Northern Ireland where the British system was definitively adopted) in the Republic of Ireland an extra commemorative mark was occasionally struck, different from those used in the United Kingdom.
In 1966 the Claidheamh Solais ('The Sword of Light') was struck to commemorate the golden jubilee of the 1916 rising. It was an Irish nationalist newspaper published in the early 20th century by Conradh na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League), edited from 1903 by Padráig Pearse, an Irish educationalist and barrister who later became a key figure in the Easter Rising in 1916.
In 1973 the Gleninsheen Collar, based on a ribbed gold collar found in Gleninsheen, Co. Clare from the Late Bronze Age, 800-600 BC, was struck to commemorate Ireland joining the European Community.
It was found in a crack in a rock. The farmer who found it thought it was the handle of a recently made coffin. It is now part of the largest collection in Europe of Ancient Gold objects displayed at the National Museum of Ireland (see a contemporary gold replica).
In 1987 the “Coat of Arms” of the Goldsmiths Company was struck to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Goldsmiths Company of Dublin.
In 1988 the three castles (taken from the coat of arms of the City of Dublin) was struck to mark the millennium of the city of Dublin (learn about).
From June 1999 to December 2000 the so-called M2 symbol, representing the transition to the new millennium was introduced to celebrate the new millennium.
The table at the bottom of the page shows, in chronological order, the commemorative hallmarks used in Ireland after the act of independence dating 1922.
All the reported commemorative marks have been drawn from samples found on-line. For a couple of them it was not possible to find real samples (this is a little known collecting niche). For these hallmarks a reconstruction was made by the author of this article on the basis of facsimiles reported by Ian Pickford, 1991. Pocket Edition Jackson's Hallmarks: English, Scottish, Irish Silver and Gold Marks from 1300 to Present Day. Antiques Collector's Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk (UK). 

 

Here are some examples of Irish commemorative hallmarks found on-line.
 
The revolution Jubilee mark (‘The Sword of Light’) was struck on gold and silverware together with the date letter Y, from January to December 1966. Only 34,715 articles of silverware have been struck with this mark.
The revolution Jubilee mark ('The Sword of Light')
The 1973 'Gleninsheen Collar', Based on a Ribbed gold collar of Late Bronze age 800-600 BC, was struck on silver and gold articles in 1973 to commemorate Ireland joining the European Community.
 hallmark commemorating Ireland joining the European Community
The commemorative hallmark for the transition to the new millennium was struck between June 1999 and December 2000.
The used mark is the so-called 'm2' symbol
 commemorative hallmark for the transition to the new millennium
year (1)
struck hallmark (2)
facsimile (3)
description
1966
Golden Jubilee of the 1916 revolution.
'Claidheamh Solais' (‘the sword of light’)
1973
 
Ireland joining the European Community.
'Glensheen Collar'.
1987
N.F.
350th anniversary of the Company of Goldsmith of Dublin.
Coat of arms of the Company of Goldsmith of Dublin.
1988
N.F.
Millennium of city of Dublin.
Coat of arms of the city of Dublin
from June 1999 to December 2000
New millennium.
The so called 'm2' symbol.
1) the reported dates correspond to the date letter accompanying the mark.
2) as found on real items (N.F.: not found)
3) 1987 and 1988 hallmarks are reconstructions made by the author of this article on the basis of facsimiles reported by Ian Pickford, 1991. Pocket Edition Jackson's Hallmarks: English, Scottish, Irish Silver and Gold Marks from 1300 to Present Day. Antiques Collector's Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk (UK). For the 1987 hallmark the image reproduced on a commemorative stamp was used; for the 1988 hallmark the image reproduced on a 50 p commemorative coin was used.
- Giovanni Ciceri 2006 -
www.argentinglesi.com
part two of this article concerning Great Britain and United Kingdom was published in December 2006 ASCAS Newsletter - click here