What is an “Import Mark”?

British silver products bear small stamps known as “hallmarks.”

Between 1867 and 1998, silver products manufactured outside the United Kingdom that were imported for sale in the United Kingdom were required to bear an additional mark known as an “import mark” to distinguish them from silver products manufactured in the United Kingdom.

This article explains import marks in detail.

1. The Origins of the Import Mark (c. 1842–1904)

In the 19th century, the United Kingdom expanded its colonies worldwide and reigned as the “British Empire,” the largest empire in world history, attracting wealth from around the globe.

The United Kingdom, which first succeeded in the Industrial Revolution and was known as the “workshop of the world,” produced many high-quality silver products, but it also imported large quantities of silver products from countries such as France and Germany.

The British “Tariff Act” enacted in 1842 stipulated that gold and silver products imported from outside the United Kingdom could not be sold in the United Kingdom unless they were inspected by a British assay office.

Furthermore, in 1867, the letter “F” was added to British hallmarks, and this mark was used until around 1904.

However, many British people at the time believed that imported silver products were inferior to British-made ones, and many importers disliked having this mark stamped and used loopholes to avoid it.

This was apparently because assay offices did not have the authority to determine whether an item was foreign-made.

2. Changes to the Law and the Import Mark (1904–1998)

Assay Office Marks Changed for Imported Goods

The 1904 amendment to the law changed the import mark from the previous “F” mark to unique marks from assay offices across the United Kingdom (assay office marks) for imported goods.

Differences in Marks Indicating Silver Fineness

In addition, British silver products bear a “standard mark” indicating the fineness of the silver, which is a lion passant (a lion facing left), while imported silver products bear a mark in an oval containing a numerical value such as “.925.”

3. Standardization of Hallmarks (1972 Onward)

In 1972, an international treaty on the cross-border trade of products known as the “International Convention on Hallmarks” was signed, and the United Kingdom joined it.
It covers not only silver but also gold, platinum, and palladium.

The Common Control Mark (CCM) established by this treaty has the same legal status as the hallmarks of assay offices (inspection offices) in each country.

The CCM is stamped by assay offices in each country after the purity of the alloy has been tested according to prescribed testing methods.

As part of this development, the United Kingdom’s hallmark law was amended in 1998, abolishing the use of the “import mark.”
Since 1998, the same mark has been stamped on both British-made products and imported goods.

Summary

Many silver products in the United Kingdom were made and imported from other countries such as France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark.

Some are designed for the British market, but many differ in atmosphere and detail from British-made products, and discovering these differences is part of the enjoyment.

If you find a British silver product with a different atmosphere, look for an “import mark.”