EUROPEAN COUNTRIES SILVER AND GOLD HALLMARKS
SWEDEN
A silver or gold object that is to be sold commercially is, in most countries, stamped with one or more hallmarks indicating the purity of the metal and the mark of the manufacturer or silversmith
The word "HALLMARK" derives from the fact that, since the 16th century, precious metals were sent to the London Goldsmiths' Hall for testing to ensure that the correct standard of silver had been used. The Goldsmiths' Hall was the headquarters of the Goldsmiths' Company and the home of the Assay Office.
In some countries, the testing of precious metal objects and marking of purity is controlled by a national assay office.
Depending on the national legislation the use of hallmarks may be compulsory, voluntary or provided by a manufacturer's declaration.
The Swedish hallmarking system is organized on a compulsory base.
State control and standardisation of silver fineness in Sweden began in 1752. The national control mark was introduced in 1754 and in 1759 started a national alphanumerical date marking system. This system continues in present days.
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Table of Swedish date marks
supposedly, sometimes the date letter W has been used instead of V ('W5' for 'V5', dating 1875)
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The present form of National Control Mark started in 1901 consisting of the three crowns of the Swedish coat of arms in a trefoil shape with a striated background (cat's paw).
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The National Control Mark is accompanied by a mark with the letter "S" into a hexagonal frame indicating the minimum silver standard of .800. This is the minimum stardard, but also .830 and 925 (STERLING) are commonly used.
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Town marks were standardized after 1912. There are about 140 marks consisting of the town initial letter into a square or circular shape. Only Stockholm uses a crowned figure. From 1988 town and year marks are optional.
Left to right: town mark Stockholm, Göteborg, Vadstena, Malmö, Kristianstadt
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From 1912 to 1988 foreign silver imported into Sweden is marked with the three crowns into an oval frame.
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SWEDISH SILVER MAKERS |
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Sweden: maker Befa Guld- & Silvervarufabrik Ab mark, town Göteborg, date 1980
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Sweden: maker Erlandssons S-Varufabrik Rudolf P, town Kristianstadt, date 1917
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Sweden: maker Hallbergs Guldsmeds Ab C G, town Stockholm, date 1917
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Sweden: maker Guldsmedsaktiebolaget I Stockholm, town Stockholm, date 1922
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Sweden: import mark and Malmö Nysilverfabrik Gustaf Frost mark, town Malmö, date 1935
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Sweden: maker Rylens Guldsmedsaffär Håkan Rylen, town Vadstena, date 1992
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Sweden: maker Skandia Silver & Nysilver Ab, Stockholm (1933-1957), date 1944.
SAGA (probably retailer): Saga of Sweden AB Box 311, 421 23 Västra Frölunda from 2009
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Sweden: maker Ullner Carl, Malmö
, 1916-1926, date 1921.
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THE DIRECTORY OF SWEDISH SILVER MAKERS FROM SWEDAC REGISTER
The initials/name on the mark can be reused by another silversmith for a period after the previous user has completed his business. However, the same initials/name is never used by two silversmiths in the same year.
AA / AKIND
AKIRAM / B.HOLM
B HÄGGSTRÖM / BUR
BUR / CRE
CREARE / EJ
EJ(N) / FRITZ OLSSON
FRJ / GMK
GML / HGA
HGA / J SVENSSON
J WESTERLIND / JW
JW(F) / KYYS
KZM / LYKKE
LYL / NAW
NB / OTTO
OTTO HOLM / RLL
RLS / SIK
SIK / TAI
TAI / WHO
WHR / ÖSTERLEN
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SWEDISH TOWN MARKS FROM 1912
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HALLMARKING CONVENTION
Sweden is from 1975 a country member of the Convention on the Control and Marking of Articles of Precious Metals, an international treaty between States on the cross border trade in precious metal articles. It was signed in Vienna in November 1972 and entered into force in 1975.
The Convention's Common Control Mark (CCM) has the same legal status as a national Assay Office mark. The CCM is applied by national Assay Offices to articles of platinum, gold, palladium and silver after the fineness of the alloy has been checked in accordance with agreed testing methods.
Articles bearing the CCM - together with the national Assay Office Mark, the responsibility mark (manufacturer or sponsor) and the fineness mark indicating its purity - do not have to be re-controlled or re-marked in the states members of the Convention.
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