Hallmarking Act 1973

The Hallmarking Act 1973 (c. 43) makes up the bulk of modern law regarding the assaying and hallmarking of metals in the United Kingdom. Hallmarking is a way to guarantee the purity of precious metals. Metals are tested and, if they meet a certain minimal purity requirement, are marked with a specified seal. In the United Kingdom, this is done by the assay offices in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Edinburgh. The act made business transactions involving unmarked metals illegal. Trading Standards departments are responsible for enforcing the act.

Hallmarking Act 1973

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make fresh provision for the composition, assaying, marking and description of articles of, or containing, precious metals, and as to agencies for the implementation and enforcement thereof; and for purposes connected with those matters.
Citation	1973 c. 43
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	25 July 1973
Other legislation
Amends	Customs Consolidation Act 1876 Revenue Act 1883 Revenue Act 1884 Customs and Inland Revenue Act 1890 Finance Act 1907 Forgery Act 1913 Common Informers Act 1951 Customs and Excise Act 1952
Repeals/revokes	Standard of Silver Plate, etc. Act 1696 Assay of Plate Act 1702 Plate Duty Act 1719 Plate (Offences) Act 1738 Gold and Silver Thread Act 1741 Plate (Offences) Act 1772 Plate (Offences) Act 1772 Plate Assay (Sheffield) Act 1784 Gold and Silver Thread Act 1788 Gold Plate (Standard) Act 1798 Plate Assay (Ireland) Act 1807 Plate (Scotland) Act 1836 Customs Act 1842 Gold and Silver Wares Act 1844 Gold and Silver Wares Act 1854 Wedding Rings Act 1855 Hall-marking of Foreign Plate Act 1904 Assay of Imported Watch-Cases (Existing Stocks Exemption) Act 1907 Hall-marking of Foreign Plate Act 1939
Status: Current legislation
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the yes as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

Another notable consequence of the act was the formation of the British Hallmarking Council (BHC). This council is responsible for advising the Secretary of State in matters of hallmarking, making certain the UK has acceptable hallmarking facilities, and overseeing the assay offices so they follow the legal hallmarking standards. The council has made many important contributions concerning UK hallmarking procedures. In 1992, the European Commission proposed a directive meant to cover hallmarking. The BHC examined the document and found multiple areas of ambiguity and deficiency. When the European Parliament voted on the council's recommendations, many were approved.

The Hallmarking Regulations 1998 and the Hallmarking Order 1998 caused the legitimisation of hallmarks of other member states (those countries that ratified the Convention on the Control of Articles of Precious Metals of 1972). The council was responsible for clearing up ambiguous statements in the regulations and for extending its definition to deal with other problems in the hallmarking law. Some of these changes include seven additional standards of fineness, a change in the standard mark, and the dropping of the date requirement on marked metals.

References

• Cinaman, Diana Sanders (2006). All About Antique Silver with International Hallmarks. AAA Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9785168-0-2.
• "Hallmarking Act". Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
• "Hallmarking Law". British Hallmarking Council. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 27 January 2012.