March 2026
Silver hallmarks, without the jargon
Standard, maker, assay office: four small marks that tell the whole story.
A silver object usually carries several marks struck at different moments: the standard of the alloy, the maker mark, the assay office mark, sometimes a date letter.
In Belgium and France the standard is the most reliable clue: 800, 833, 900 or 925 thousandths. An object marked only silver plated, EPNS or métal argenté is not solid silver, however fine its quality.
One practical tip: photograph the marks in raking light before any cleaning. Vigorous polishing rounds the outlines and makes identification permanently impossible.