UK Hallmarking: Short Bibliography

Jackson's Silver and Gold MarksA range of specialist books have been written to help identify UK hallmarks. They are largely based on the surviving registers of marks that most UK assay offices kept from from the early 1770s (and some, such as London, much earlier).  The Library has a large reference section dedicated to hallmarking, which includes all of the books listed below.

If you would like to find out about books on hallmarking in other countries, please contact us for more information.

Standard works: United Kingdom

BRADBURY, Frederick.  Guide to the marks of origin on British and Irish silver plate from mid 16th century to the year 1963 and Old Sheffield Plate makers' marks 1743-1860 (Sheffield,  Sheffield Assay Office, 2009)

JACKSON, Charles James.  English goldsmiths and their marks: a history of the goldsmiths and plate workers of England, Scotland and Ireland.  With over thirteen thousand marks reproduced in fac-simile from authentic examples of plate and tables of date letters and other hallmarks used in the assay offices of the United Kingdom (London, Macmillan and Co. Limited, 2nd ed. 1921)

PICKFORD, Ian, ed.  Jackson's silver and gold marks of England, Scotland and Ireland (Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 1989)

PICKFORD, Ian, ed.  Pocket edition: Jackson's hallmarks: English Scottish, Irish silver & gold marks from 1300 to the present day (Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 1991)

London

GRIMWADE, Arthur Girling. London goldsmiths 1697-1837 their marks & lives (London, Faber & Faber, 1990)

CULME, John David. The directory of gold & silversmiths, jewellers & allied traders 1838-1914, from the London Assay Office registers (Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 2v., 1987)

Birmingham

JONES, Kenneth Crisp ed. The silversmiths of Birmingham and their marks 1750-1980 (London, NAG Press Ltd., 1981)

Chester

RIDGWAY, Maurice Hill & PRIESTLEY, Philip.  The compendium of Chester gold and silver marks 1570 to 1962 from the Chester Assay Office registers (Woodbridge, Antique Collectors' Club, 2004)

Exeter

EXETER MUSEUM.  Exeter and West Country silver Exeter (Exeter, Exeter City Council, 1978)

HUNT, Simon. Catalogue of Exeter silver. Exeter Museum Publication No. 86 (Exeter, Exeter Museum 1976)

Newcastle

GILL, Margaret A. V.  A directory of Newcastle goldsmiths (London, The Goldsmiths’ Company, 1980)

Norwich

BARRETT, Geoffrey N. Norwich silver and its marks 1565-1702 (Norwich, Wensum Press, 1981)

HARTOP, Christopher ed. East Anglian silver 1550-1750 (Cambridge, John Adamson, 2004)

Sheffield

SHEFFIELD ASSAY OFFICE. The Sheffield Assay Office register.  A copy of the register of the persons concerned in the manufacture of silver wares, and of the marks entered by them from 1773 to 1907 (Sheffield, Sheffield Assay Office, 1911, reprinted 1989)

York

GUBBINS, Martin. The Assay Office and silversmiths of York 1776-1858 (York, Williams Sessions Limited, 1983)