Search Legislation

Advanced Search

Hallmarking Act 1973

Changes to legislation:

There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial team to Hallmarking Act 1973. Those changes will be listed when you open the content using the Table of Contents below. Any changes that have already been made by the team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. Help about Changes to Legislation

Close

Changes to Legislation

Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the affected provisions when you open the content using the Table of Contents below.

  2. Introductory Text

    3. 1. Prohibited descriptions of unhallmarked articles.

  3. 2. Meaning of approved hallmarks, etc.

  4. 3. Sponsors’ marks.

  5. 4. Approved hallmarks.

  6. 5. Alterations to hallmarked articles.

  7. 6. Counterfeiting, etc. of dies and marks.

  8. 7. Treatment by assay offices of unauthorised marks.

  9. 8. Offences.

  10. 9. Enforcement of Act.

  11. 10. Treatment of articles following convictions.

  12. 11. Dealers to exhibit notices as to hallmarks.

  13. 12. Charges for assaying and hallmarking, etc.

  14. 13. The British Hallmarking Council.

  15. 14. Power to alter, etc., constitution of Council.

  16. 15. Functions of assay offices, etc.

  17. 16. Orders constituting, dissolving, etc., or conferring powers on assay offices.

  18. 17. Application of Act to other metals by order.

  19. 18. Local Acts and instruments.

  20. 19. Reports and accounts.

  21. 20. Local inquiries.

  22. 21. Regulations and orders.

  23. 22. Interpretation.

  24. 23. Repeals.

  25. 24. Short title, commencement and extent.

  26. SCHEDULES

    1. SCHEDULE 1

      Unhallmarked Articles

      1. Part I Permissible Descriptions

        1. 1.(1) Subject to the provisions of this paragraph—

        2. 2.A description is permissible if it is implicitly or in...

      2. Part II Exempted Articles

        1. 1.An article which is intended for despatch to a destination...

        2. 2.An article which is outside the United Kingdom, or which...

        3. 3.Any coin which is, or was formerly at any time,...

        4. 4.Any article which has been used, or is intended to...

        5. 5.Any battered article fit only to be remanufactured.

        6. 6.Any article of gold or silver thread.

        7. 7.Any raw material (including any bar, plate, sheet, foil, rod,...

        8. 8.Any manufactured article which is not substantially complete, and which...

        9. 9.Any article which is wholly or mainly of platinum, and...

        10. Articles exempt if of minimum fineness

          1. 10.Any article which— (a) is wholly or mainly of gold...

          2. 11.Subject to paragraph 14AA below, any musical instrument, where the...

          3. 12.(1) Subject to paragraph 14AA and subject to the provisions...

          4. 12A.(1) Subject to paragraph 14AA, any article—

          5. 12B.(1) Subject to paragraph 14AA, any article—

          6. 12C.(1) Subject to paragraph 14AA, any article—

          7. 13.Subject to paragraph 14AA below, any article , except an...

          8. 14.Subject to paragraph 14AA below, any article which is of...

          9. 14A.(1) Subject to paragraph 14AA and subject to the provisions...

          10. 14AA.Paragraphs 11 to 14A above do not apply to any...

          11. 14B.. . . . . . . . . ....

        11. Existing exemptions

          1. 15.The following articles of gold, if manufactured before 1st January...

          2. 16.(1) Subject to the exceptions below, the following articles of...

          3. 17.Articles of gold or silver manufactured before 1st January 1975,...

        12. Articles manufactured before a given date

          1. 18.Where under this Part of this Schedule an exemption depends...

      3. Part III Use of the Words “Carats”, “Sterling” and “Britannia”

        1. 1.This Part of this Schedule applies for the purposes of...

        2. 2.(1) A description indicating that an article, or the metal...

        3. 3.(1) A description of an article, or of the metal...

      4. Part IV Power to Amend

        1. 1.(1) The Secretary of State may by order—

    2. SCHEDULE 2

      Approved Hallmarks

      1. PART I ARTICLES COMPRISED OF A SINGLE PRECIOUS METAL

        1. 1.Assay office mark Assay office Assay office mark (1) (2)...

        2. 2.Standard mark Precious metal Standard of fineness Standard mark (1)...

        3. 3.Optional pictorial mark Precious metal Standard of fineness Pictorial mark...

        4. 4.Optional date letter Such distinct variable letter of the alphabet...

        5. 5.Optional additional mark Such mark (if any) as may be...

      2. PART 2 ARTICLES COMPRISED OF TWO OR MORE PRECIOUS METALS

        1. 6.An article comprised of two or more precious metals shall...

        2. 7.The article shall be struck with— (a) the assay office...

        3. 8.(1) The person who submits the article to an assay...

        4. 9.(1) This paragraph applies if— (a) an assay office have...

        5. 10.(1) This paragraph applies to the striking of hallmarks other...

        6. 11.(1) If the person who submits the article to the...

        7. 12.Any small working parts contained within an article which for...

        8. 13.Where any article of gold, silver or platinum is coated...

        9. 14.Where any article of silver or platinum is coated in...

        10. 15.For the purposes of this Part and Part 3—

      3. PART 3 ARTICLES COMPRISED OF PRECIOUS METAL PARTS AND OTHER MATERIALS

        1. 16.(1) A mixed material article shall not be hallmarked unless,...

        2. 17.A mixed material article with only a single precious metal...

        3. 18.A mixed material article comprised of two or more precious...

        4. 19.For the purposes of this Part— (a) “ base metal...

      4. Part IV General

        1. 20.Each of the marks comprising the approved hallmarks shall be...

    3. SCHEDULE 3

      Provisions as to Offences

      1. Penalties for offences

        1. 1.A person guilty of an offence under this Act for...

      2. Time limit for prosecutions

        1. 2.(1) No prosecution for an offence under this Act shall...

      3. Offences by corporations

        1. 3.(1) Where an offence under this Act which has been...

      4. Offences due to fault of other person

        1. 4.Where the commission by any person of an offence under...

      5. Innocent publication of advertisement

        1. 5.In proceedings for an offence under this Act committed by...

      6. Defence in proceedings under section 1

        1. 6.In any proceedings for an offence under section 1 of...

    4. SCHEDULE 4

      The British Hallmarking Council

      1. Constitution

        1. 1.The Council shall consist of not less than sixteen nor...

        2. 2.(1) Ten of the members of the Council shall be...

        3. 3.(1) Six of the members of the Council shall be...

        4. 4.Members shall be appointed under the preceding provisions of this...

        5. 5.(1) Not more than two members of the Council may...

        6. 6.A person wholly or mainly employed by an assay office,...

        7. 7.The first meeting of the Council shall be held on...

        8. 8.(1) A member of the Council may at any time,...

        9. 9.(1) The Council shall elect a person to serve as...

        10. 10.A person retiring from or resigning office as the chairman...

        11. 11.The powers of the Council or any committee thereof may...

        12. 12.Questions arising at any meeting of the Council or of...

        13. 13.The chief executive of an assay office and any other...

        14. 14.(1) The Council may in any standing orders made by...

      2. Committees

        1. 15.The Council may appoint a technical committee and one or...

      3. Standing Orders

        1. 16.The Council may make standing orders for regulating the proceedings...

      4. Incorporation, etc.

        1. 17.(1) The Council shall be a body corporate with perpetual...

      5. Expenses and Accounts

        1. 18.(1) The expenses of the Council (which may include reasonable...

        2. 19.(1) The Council shall keep proper accounts of all sums...

        3. 20.The Council may pay to the chairman of the Council...

      6. Officers and Servants

        1. 21.The Council shall appoint a secretary and such other officers...

    5. SCHEDULE 5

      Powers and Duties of Assay Offices

      1. Submission of new wares for assaying and hallmarking

        1. 1.An assay office may refuse to assay or mark any...

      2. Assaying and hallmarking

        1. 2.(1) Upon receipt of any article submitted to an assay...

      3. Inspections by H.M. Mint

        1. 3.(1) Her Majesty’s Mint may at any time and from...

      4. Safe custody of marks

        1. 4.(1) Each assay office shall be responsible both for the...

    6. SCHEDULE 6

      Procedures for Orders

      1. Part I Orders Under Section 16(1) on Application

        1. 1.Before making application for an order under subsection (1)(b) of...

        2. 2.On application for any order to which this Part of...

        3. 3.Not later than the date on which the said notice...

        4. 4.The applicants shall also publish in the Gazette a notice...

        5. 5.The applicants shall, at the request of any person interested,...

        6. 6.The Secretary of State may make an order in the...

        7. 7.If, before the expiration of the twenty-eight days referred to...

        8. 8.On the making of an order to which this Part...

        9. 9.The costs incurred by the Secretary of State in connection...

        10. 10.In this Part of this Schedule “the Gazette” means in...

      2. Part II Modifications of Part I of this Schedule for Purposes of Orders Under Section 16(2) Where no Application

        1. 11.In relation to any order under section 16(2) of this...

    7. SCHEDULE 7

      Enactments Repealed

      1. Part I—Public General Acts

        1. Acts of Parliament of Ireland

      2. Part II—Local Acts

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.

Original (As Enacted or Made):The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources