What is an "import mark"?

British silver products have a small marking called a "hallmark" stamped on them.
For more information on hallmarks on silver products made in the UK, please see this blog post.

[Blog article] Hallmarks on British silver products

Between 1867 and 1998, when silverware manufactured outside the UK was imported for sale in the UK, a separate mark, called an "import mark", was added to distinguish it from silverware manufactured in the UK.
This article will explain in detail about "import marks".

1. The origins of import marks (around 1842-1904)

The 19th century was a time when Britain expanded its colonies all over the world, reigned as the British Empire, the largest territory in the world's history, and gathered wealth from all over the world.
Britain, the first country to successfully launch the Industrial Revolution and known as the "world's factory," produced many high-quality silver products, but it also imported a lot of silver products from countries other than Britain, such as France and Germany.

The British Customs Act of 1842 stipulates that gold and silver products imported from outside the UK cannot be sold in the UK unless they are assayed by a British Assay Office.
In 1867, the letter "F" was added to British hallmarks and this mark was used until around 1904.

However, at the time, many British people believed that imported silver products were inferior to British-made silver, and many importers were reluctant to have the mark stamped on them, so they found loopholes in the law to avoid having it stamped.
This was apparently because the assay lab did not have the authority to ask whether the item was foreign-made.

2. Amendments to the law and changes to import marks (1904-1998)

A revision to the law in 1904 changed the import mark from the previous format of adding an "F" mark to a format in which the unique marks of assay offices around the UK (Assay Office marks) were replaced with marks for imported goods.

In addition, while silver products made in the UK are stamped with a lion passant (a lion facing left) as a "standard mark" to indicate the purity of silver, imported silver products are stamped with a numerical mark such as ".925" inside an oval.

3. International standardization of markings (since 1972)

In 1972, an international treaty on cross-border trade in products called the International Marking Convention was signed, with the UK joining.
This includes not only silver but also gold, platinum and palladium.

The Common Control Mark (CCM) established by this treaty will have the same legal status as the hallmarks of appraisal (inspection) laboratories in each country.
CCM is stamped by appraisal laboratories in each country after the purity of the alloy has been inspected according to established testing methods.

As part of this trend, UK hallmarking laws were amended in 1998 and the use of the "import mark" was abolished.
Since 1998 both British made and imported products have been stamped with the same marking.

summary

Much of the silver in the UK is made in other countries, including France, Germany, Holland and Denmark, and imported.
Some of them are designed for the UK market, but many of them have a different feel and detailed design to their UK-made counterparts, and seeing the differences is one of the fun things to do.
If you find British silverware with a different feel, try looking for an "import mark."

British silver products