hallmark

hallmark
A series of marks (usually four) stamped on articles made of gold, silver, or platinum in the UK to indicate the maker, the hall or assay office making the mark, the quality of the metal, and the date of assay. Each of the four halls (London, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Edinburgh) have distinguishing marks (e. g. a leopard for London, an anchor for Birmingham). The quality of gold was indicated by a carat mark (22, 18, 14, and 9 carats) until 1975, after which it was expressed in parts of gold per 1000 (e. g. 22 carat = 916, 14 carat = 585, 9 carat = 375). The quality mark for sterling silver (925 parts per 1000) in England is a lion (passant) and in Scotland a thistle or lion (rampant). Britannia silver (958) is indicated by a full-length figure of Britannia. Platinum is indicated by an orb. The date is indicated by a letter in a specifically shaped shield. Hallmarks on precious metals are accepted internationally and there are heavy penalties for forging them or selling articles made in the UK of these metals (except those exempt) without them. The future of hallmarks is, however, uncertain, owing to current moves to make the marking of precious metals consistent throughout the EU. Since January 1999 all articles made in the EU of gold, silver, or platinum must carry a numeral indication of purity (in parts per 1000) in addition to any hallmarks.

Big dictionary of business and management. 2014.

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  • Hallmark — Channel Страна …   Википедия

  • hallmark — ► NOUN 1) a mark stamped on articles of gold, silver, or platinum by the British assay offices, certifying purity. 2) a distinctive feature, especially of excellence. ► VERB ▪ stamp with a hallmark. ORIGIN from Goldsmiths Hall in London, where… …   English terms dictionary

  • hallmark — [hôl′märk΄] n. 1. an official mark stamped on British gold and silver articles, orig. at Goldsmiths Hall in London, as a guarantee of genuineness 2. any mark or symbol of genuineness or high quality vt. to put a hallmark on …   English World dictionary

  • hallmark — index brand, designation (symbol), device (distinguishing mark), label, stamp, trademark Burton s …   Law dictionary

  • hallmark — 1721, official stamp of purity in gold and silver articles, from Goldsmiths Hall in London, site of the assay office; see HALL (Cf. hall) + MARK (Cf. mark) (n.1). General sense of mark of quality first recorded 1864. As a verb from 1773 …   Etymology dictionary

  • hallmark — [n] symbol, authentication badge, certification, device, emblem, endorsement, indication, mark, ratification, seal, sign, signet, stamp, sure sign, telltale sign, trademark; concepts 284,628 …   New thesaurus

  • Hallmark — A hallmark is a mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals mdash; platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. General OverviewHallmarks DefinedA hallmark, is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made …   Wikipedia

  • hallmark — ▪ I. hallmark hall‧mark 1 [ˈhɔːlmɑːk ǁ ˈhɒːlmɑːrk] noun [countable] 1. an idea, quality, or skill that is typical of a particular person or thing: • Their ability to work under tight deadlines is a hallmark of their professionalism. 2. a mark put …   Financial and business terms

  • Hallmark — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Hallmark désigne en anglais un poinçon et peut signifier : Hallmark un faubourg de Louisville, Kentucky, États Unis. Hallmark Cards, une société de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Hallmark — ist ein Unternehmen aus Kansas City, Missouri. Es wurde 1910 von Joyce C. Hall gegründet und ist heute der größte Hersteller und Vertreiber von Grußkarten in den USA. Etwa die Hälfte aller per Post verschickten Grußkarten in den USA wurden von… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • hallmark — hallmarker, n. /hawl mahrk /, n. 1. an official mark or stamp indicating a standard of purity, used in marking gold and silver articles assayed by the Goldsmiths Company of London; plate mark. 2. any mark or special indication of genuineness,… …   Universalium

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