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HALLMARKS
OF ITALIAN SILVER
(LATE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY)
This is a brief history and a
selection of Italian silver hallmarks from 1870 to
present days.
The documentation about this period of Italian
silversmithing is extremely scarce and difficult to find.
The objective of this page is to offer an introduction
to this matter and a cue for a more deep study of this
fascinating period.
In 1870, with the conquest of Rome and the end of Stato
Pontificio (Papal State), Italy attained its unity and an
unique system of hallmarking was introduced in the Regno
d'Italia (Kingdom of Italy). The law 2 May 1872
deregulated silver production and introduced only a
facultative inspection of silver artifacts.
official marks (legge 2 Maggio 1872)
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1
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optional hallmark, purity degree
950/1000
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2 |
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optional hallmark, purity degree 900/1000 |
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3
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optional hallmark, purity degree
800/1000
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Italian silversmiths rarely submitted their
pieces to the optional official hallmarking.
Usually silver pieces were marked only with the
'800' (purity degree 800/1000), sometimes
coupled with the silversmith's hallmark.
The '800' was an unofficial mark and there was
no uniformity in its shape.
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4
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'800' with oval outline and VM
(presumably silversmith's initials)
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5
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'800' without outline
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6
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'800' without outline coupled
to silversmith's hallmark
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7
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'800' without outline
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The law 5 February 1934 n. 305 introduced
uniformity in the shape of silversmith's
marks.
The new mark identifying the silversmith
consisted of a lozenge containing:
number: corresponding to the number
identifying the silversmith
'fascio': fascist party symbol
two letters: initials of the Province
The lozenge was coupled to an oval
containing the purity degree 800 or 925 per
thousand.
official marks (legge 5 Febbraio 1934 n.
305)
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8
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'800' and lozenge mark
identifying the silversmith
number / fascio / province
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9
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lozenge with 'fascio'
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10
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purity degree '800 into an
oval outline
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The Law 26 October 1944 n. 313 (Decreto
Legislativo Luogotenenziale 26 Ottobre
1944 n. 313) ordered the elimination
of the 'fascio' (symbol of 'fascism')
maintaining into the lozenge only the
number (identification of the
silversmith) and the
The availability of new lozenges was not
immediate and for a short period the old
marks with the obliterated 'fascio' were
maintained.
official mark (Decreto Legislativo 26
Ottobre 1944 n. 313)
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11
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lozenge mark without 'fascio'
number / province
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The Laws 30 January 1968 (Legge 30
gennaio 1968 n. 46) and 30 December
1970 n. 1496 (D.P.R. 30 Dicembre
1970 n. 1496) introduced new
hallmarks for silver and precious
metals. The mark was modified to a
polygogonal shape and a star was
added on the left. Numbers and
Province letter were maintained.
Purity degree 925, 835 and 800 per
thousand were allowed and inscribed
into an oval outlined mark.
This system is still in use in
present days.
official marks (Legge 30 Gennaio
1968 n. 46
and D.P.R. 30 Dicembre
1970 n. 1496 )
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12
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polygon with 'star'
star / number / province
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13
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purity degree into an
oval outline
'800'
'925'
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The 'Decreto Legislativo 22
Maggio 1999, n. 251' introduced
a system of marks for objects
made in precious metals and
weighted with resin or mastic .
The new mark is a R inside a
square outline (the R is the
abbreviation of 'Riempito' =
filled in English).
official marks (Decreto
Legislativo 22 Maggio 1999, n.
251)
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14
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This piece was
created in a resin or
mastic then covered with
3 to 5 grams of 925
standard silver as shown
by 3 ÷ 5
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<
These are the regulations
governing the manufacture
'Riempito'
(Article 39 of the 'Regolamento
recante norme per l'applicazione
del Decreto Legislativo 22
Maggio 1999, n. 251')
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a) negli oggetti
parzialmente o totalmente
rivestiti in lamina di
metallo prezioso, e'
consentito l'uso di mastice
per fissare la lamina al suo
supporto, a condizione che
la densita' del mastice non
sia superiore a 2,5 g/cm 3 e
che la sua percentuale in
peso non superi il 25% del
peso totale dell'oggetto, e
che sia incisa l'indicazione
"R" racchiusa in un
quadrato, accompagnata dalla
indicazione del peso del
metallo, in grammi e decimi
di grammo, seguita dal
simbolo "g" per i
rivestimenti in platino,
palladio ed oro, e alle
condizioni di cui alla
successiva lettera c) per i
rivestimenti in argento; |
a) In the objects partially
or totally coated with a
sheet of precious metal, the
use of putty is allowed to
fix the thin sheet to its
support, on condition that
the density of the putty is
not more than 2,5 g/cubic
cm. and that its percentage
in weight does not exceed
25% of the total weight of
the object, and that it is
marked with an "R" in a
square accompanied by the
metal's weight in grams and
tenths of gram, followed by
the symbol "g" for the
coverings in platinum,
palladio and gold, and
adheres to the conditions
illustrated at letter c) for
the coverings in silver;
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b) nei piedi o basamenti
di vasi, candelabri, coppe
ed oggetti affini, che per
praticita' di uso sono
rinforzati ed appesantiti,
e' ammessa la introduzione
di un riempimento metallico,
a condizione che questo sia
applicato in maniera da
poter essere smontato e che
risulti totalmente visibile
o che, se ricoperto con
piastre o coperchi metallici
o non metallici, tale
copertura sia fissata in
modo da poter essere, anche
essa, agevolmente smontata.
Su ogni parte di metallo
comune, ivi comprese le
piastre di copertura, deve
essere impressa
l'indicazione "metallo"
ovvero il nome specifico del
metallo o della lega
impiegati. Nel caso in cui
la piastra di copertura sia
in metallo prezioso, essa
reca il marchio di
identificazione,
l'indicazione del titolo, il
termine "riempito", nonche'
il peso del metallo fino
espresso in grammi seguito
dalla lettera "g" della
piastra stessa; |
b) In the feet or bases
of pots, candelabra, cups
and similar objects weighted
or strengthened, is admitted
the use of a metallic
filling up, on condition
that this is applied in
manner to be able to be
dismantled and fully visible
or, if covered with metallic
or non metallic lids, such
covering is fixed so as to
be easily dismantled. Every
part of non precious metal,
included the covering lids,
will be marked with the
generic indication "metal"
or the specific name of the
metal or of the league used.
When the covering is in
precious metal it is marked
with its specific mark, the
title, the word riempito (filled)
and its weight in grams
followed from the letter
"g";
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c) nei manici dei
coltelli e' ammesso il
riempimento con sostanze non
metalliche senza pregiudizio
dei limiti di densita', ed
e' consentito altresi' che
la lama sia fissata al
manico con saldatura in
metallo non prezioso a
condizione che in ogni
manico sia inciso il termine
"riempito" o
facoltativamente
l'indicazione "R" racchiusa
in un quadrato, accompagnata
dalla indicazione del peso
della lega di metallo
prezioso, in grammi e decimi
di grammo, seguita dal
simbolo "g". Nei manici in
argento, nei quali il peso
del metallo prezioso e'
inferiore o uguale a 50
grammi, detto peso pero'
puo' essere espresso
anziche' col suo valore
effettivo, in maniera
approssimata, facendo
seguire la lettera "R"
(riempito) da una delle
seguenti notazioni: due
cifre, separate dal simbolo
"÷" seguite dalla lettera
"g", nelle quali le cifre
rappresentano, in grammi, i
valori minimo e massimo
entro i quali il peso stesso
deve intendersi contenuto:
1÷2, 2÷3, 3÷5, 5÷7, 7÷10,
10÷13, 13÷16, 16÷20, 20÷25,
25÷30, 30÷35, 35÷40, 40÷45,
45÷50.
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c) In the handles of the
knives not metallic substance is allowed
without limits of
its density, and is allowed
to fix the blade with
welding in non-precious
metal on condition that the
handle bears the word
"riempito" or the mark "R"
within a square and the
indication of the weight of
the precious metal (in grams
and tenths of gram) followed
by the symbol "g". In the
silver handles with a weight
of precious metal inferior
or equal to 50 grams the
weight may be expressed in
approximate manner, using
the "R" followed by two
figures, separated from the
symbol "÷" and the letter
"g", in which the figures
represent, in grams, the
minimum and maximum weight
of the precious metal: 1÷2,
2÷3, 3÷5, 5÷7, 7÷10, 10÷13,
13÷16, 16÷20, 20÷25, 25÷30,
30÷35, 35÷40, 40÷45, 45÷50.
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Giorgio Busetto - © 2005 -
www.silvercollection.it
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