Hallmarking Act 1973

Section 4.

SCHEDULE 2 U.K. Approved Hallmarks

Part I U.K. Articles Comprised of a Single Precious Metal

1 Assay office mark

Assay office	Articles made in the United Kingdom	Other Articles
(1)	(2)	(3)
London	A leopard’s head.	The sign of the constellation Leo.
Edinburgh	A castle.	Saint Andrew’s Cross.
Birmingham	An anchor.	An equilateral triangle.
Sheffield	A rose.	The sign of the constellation Libra.

2 Standard mark

Precious metal	Standard of fineness	Articles made in the United Kingdom	Other articles
(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)
Gold	375	A crown and the figures 375.	The figures 375.
Gold	585	A crown and the figures 585.	The figures 585.
Gold	750	A crown and the figures 750.	The figures 750.
Gold	916·6	A crown and the figures 916.	The figures 916.
Silver	925	A lion passant.	The figures 925.
		In the case of the Edinburgh Assay Office, the mark is a lion rampant instead of a lion passant.
Silver	958·4	The figure of Britannia.	The figures 958.
Platinum	950	An orb surmounted by a cross.	The figures 950.

3 Date letter

Such distinct variable letter of the alphabet to denote the year in which the article is marked as may be for the time being directed in writing by the Council.

Valid from 06/04/2007

[F1 PART 2 U.K. ARTICLES COMPRISED OF TWO OR MORE PRECIOUS METALS

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 2 Pts. 2, 3 substituted (6.4.2007) by The Hallmarking Act 1973 (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/872), reg. 2(6), Sch.

8 (1) The person who submits the article to an assay office may request the assay office to strike the marks mentioned in paragraph 7 on a particular precious metal part. U.K.

(2) The assay office must comply with such a request unless they think that, in consequence of doing so, it would not be clear which part of the article is made of which precious metal.

9 (1) This paragraph applies if— U.K.

(a) an assay office have refused to hallmark an article in accordance with a request under paragraph 8(1), and

(b) the person making the request refers the matter in writing to the Council.

(2) The Council may direct the assay office to comply with the request.

(3) The assay office must comply with the direction.

10 (1) This paragraph applies to the striking of hallmarks other than in accordance with a request under paragraph 8. U.K.

(2) Each standard mark must be struck on the precious metal part to which it relates.

(3) The assay office mark must be struck together with the standard mark for the least precious metal.

(4) If it is not practical to strike the marks in accordance with sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) they must be struck as follows—

(a) they must be struck together on the least precious metal part,

(b) if sub-paragraph (a) is not practical, they must be struck together on another precious metal part, or

(c) if neither sub-paragraph (a) nor (b) is practical, the assay office mark and the standard mark for the least precious metal must be struck on the least precious metal part and all other hallmarks must be omitted.

11 (1) If the person who submits the article to the assay office so requests, the assay office must, if it is practical to do so— U.K.

(a) strike the marks set out in section 4(1)(a)(iii) for the least precious metal part, and

(b) strike the marks set out in section 4(1)(a)(iv) and (v).

(2) The absence of an approved hallmark as mentioned in sub-paragraph (1) does not render the article unhallmarked for the purposes of this Act.

12 U.K. Any small working parts contained within an article which for technical reasons are of a lower standard of fineness or of a less precious metal than the remainder of the article shall, if it is practicable to strike a mark on those parts, be struck with the standard mark only but shall otherwise be ignored for the purpose of determining which hallmarks are to be struck on the remainder of the article.

13 U.K. Where any article of gold, silver or platinum is coated in whole or in part with rhodium the rhodium shall be ignored for the purpose of determining which hallmarks are to be struck.

14 U.K. Where any article of silver or platinum is coated in whole or in part with gold the gold coating shall be ignored for the purpose of determining which hallmarks are to be struck.

15 U.K. For the purposes of this Part and Part 3—

(a) platinum is more precious than silver or gold and gold is more precious than silver and “least precious” and “less precious” shall be construed accordingly,

(b) “assay office mark” means the mark determined in accordance with section 4(1)(a)(i), and

(c) “standard mark” means the mark determined in accordance with section 4(1)(a)(ii) as if the precious metal part comprised a single article.]

Valid from 06/04/2007

[F1 PART 3 U.K. ARTICLES COMPRISED OF PRECIOUS METAL PARTS AND OTHER MATERIALS

16 (1) A mixed material article shall not be hallmarked unless, upon assay, each precious metal is of a standard of fineness not less than the minimum fineness for that precious metal and sub-paragraph (2) or (3) applies. U.K.

(2) If the article includes base metal the base metal part must be clearly distinguishable in appearance (either by the colour of that part or by having struck on it the name of that metal, or the word “metal”, in a manner which complies with any regulations made by the Council) from any precious metal.

(3) If the article does not include base metal the condition in sub-paragraph (4) or (5) must apply.

(4) The condition in this sub-paragraph is that—

(a) the other materials must be clearly distinguishable from any precious metal part,

(b) they must not be plated so as to resemble any precious metal or be of a colour which resembles any precious metal,

(c) their extent must be clearly visible, and

(d) the precious metal part must be of a thickness of not less than 100 micrometres.

(5) The condition in this sub-paragraph is that in respect of any article in which the other materials are wholly or mainly enclosed by precious metal—

(a) the article has been so manufactured as to be capable of being hallmarked before it is filled, and

(b) there has been struck on the article the word “filled” in a manner which complies with any regulations made by the Council.

(6) Paragraph (b) of sub-paragraph (5) does not apply in the case of the handle to a knife, fork or spoon if the quantity of filling in the handle is not more than is necessary for joining.

17 U.K. A mixed material article with only a single precious metal part shall be hallmarked on the precious metal part as if it were a separate article.

18 U.K. A mixed material article comprised of two or more precious metal parts shall be hallmarked on a precious metal part in accordance with Part 2.

19 U.K. For the purposes of this Part—

(a) “base metal” means any metal other than gold, silver or platinum, and

(b) “mixed material article” means an article comprised of one or more precious metal parts and one or more other materials.]

F2 Part II U.K. Articles Comprised of Two or More Precious Metals

Textual Amendments

F2 Sch. 2 Pts. 2, 3 substituted (6.4.2007) by The Hallmarking Act 1973 (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/872), reg. 2(6), Sch.

4 An article comprised of two or more precious metals shall be hallmarked only if—

(1) it is of a description specified in one or other of the following sub-paragraphs; and

(2) it complies with paragraph 5 of this Schedule,

and shall be hallmarked only in the manner specified for an article of that description—

(a) where gold parts exceed 50 per cent. by weight of a whole article, which also contains platinum but not silver parts, the gold parts shall be hallmarked as if they comprised a separate article;

(b) where silver parts exceed 50 per cent. by weight of a whole article which also contains gold or platinum parts or both such parts, the silver parts shall be hallmarked as if they comprised a separate article;

[F3 (bb) where platinum parts exceed 50 per cent. by weight of a whole article, which also contains gold parts of a standard of fineness not less than 750 and where the gold parts are clearly distinguishable in colour from the platinum parts, the platinum parts shall be hallmarked as if they comprised a separate article and the gold parts shall, if it is practicable to strike a mark, be struck with the standard mark for gold only;]

(c) where any small working parts (which for technical reasons cannot be made of the same standard of fineness or of the same precious metal as the remainder of the article) form part of an article of which the remainder is of a higher standard of fineness or of a more precious metal, the part which is of the higher standard of fineness or (as the case may be) of the more precious metal shall be hallmarked as if it comprised a separate article and the parts which are of the lower standard of fineness or of the less precious metal [F4 shall, if it is practicable to strike a mark, be struck with the standard mark only ]for the metal of which those parts are made.

For the purposes of this sub-paragraph platinum shall be deemed more precious than gold or silver and gold be deemed more precious than silver; and “more precious” and “less precious” shall be construed accordingly;

(d) where any article of silver is coated in whole or in part with gold, the article shall be hallmarked as if it were comprised only of silver; and

(e) where any article of gold, silver or platinum is coated in whole or in part with rhodium, the article shall be hallmarked as if it were comprised only of gold, silver or platinum (as the case may be);

and in relation to any article of the description of sub-paragraphs (a) or (b) of this paragraph the precious metal of the part of the article which is not (in terms of sub-paragraph (a)) of gold or not (in terms of sub-paragraph (b)) of silver may, at the discretion of the assay office, be marked only with the standard mark.

Textual Amendments

F3 Sch. 2 para. 4(bb) inserted by S.I. 1986/1757, reg. 3(a)

F4 Words substituted by S.I. 1986/1757, reg. 3(b)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 4 modified by S.I. 1976/730, arts. 5, 6 (which S.I. was revoked (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2002/506, art. 1(2))

C2 Sch. 2 Pt. II para. 4 modified (1.4.2002) by The Hallmarking (International Convention) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/506), arts. 5(2)(f), 6

5 The parts of platinum, of gold or platinum, of less precious metal and the gold coating referred to respectively in sub-paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of the last foregoing paragraph shall each be of a standard of fineness not less than the minimum fineness for that metal mentioned in column (2) of paragraph 2 of this Schedule.

F5 Part III U.K. Articles Comprised of Precious Metal and Other Materials

Textual Amendments

F5 Sch. 2 Pts. 2, 3 substituted (6.4.2007) by The Hallmarking Act 1973 (Amendment) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/872), reg. 2(6), Sch.

6 An article comprised of precious metal and one or more other materials (in this paragraph referred to as “other materials”) shall be hallmarked as if the precious metal were comprised in a separate article if, but only if, it complies with one or other of the following sub-paragraphs—

(a) where the other materials include base metal, the article shall be hallmarked only if the use of the base metal in the manufacture of the article is authorised by regulations made by the Council (or, in relation to any single article, is approved by the Council)—

(i) as being reasonably required to fulfil the purpose for which the article is designed to be used; and

(ii) as satisfying the requirement that the part composed of base metal should be clearly distinguishable in appearance (either by the colour of that part or by having struck thereon the word “metal” in manner consonant with any regulations made by the Council) from any part which is of precious metal of minimum fineness.

(b) where the other materials do not include base metal, the article shall be hallmarked only on the precious metal part thereof and only if—

(i) those materials are clearly distinguishable from any part of the article which is of precious metal and they are not plated or of a colour to resemble any precious metal and their extent is clearly visible [F6 and the precious metal part is of a thickness of not less than 100 micrometres], or

(ii) in respect of any article wherein the other materials are wholly or mainly enclosed by precious metal, the article has been so manufactured as to be capable of being hallmarked before it is filled and (except in the case of a handle to a knife, fork or spoon where the quantity of filling in the handle is not more than is necessary for joining) there has been struck thereon the word “filled” in manner consonant with any regulations made by the Council.

In this paragraph “base metal” means any metal other than gold, silver or platinum of at least the minimum fineness therefor.

Textual Amendments

F6 Words added by S.I. 1986/1757, reg. 3(c)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C3 Sch. 2 Pt. III para. 6(b)(ii) modified by S.I. 1976/730, arts. 5, 6 (which S.I. was revoked (1.4.2002) by S.I. 2002/506, art. 1(2))

C4 Sch. 2 Pt. III para. 6(b)(ii) modified (1.4.2002) by The Hallmarking (International Convention) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/506), arts. 5(2)(g), 6

Part IV U.K. General

7 Each of the marks comprising the approved hallmarks shall be enclosed by such shield or other border as the Council may (if they see fit) for the time being specify by directions to the assay offices.