TL;DR Dublin silver carries a crowned harp, the Irish sterling mark named in the 1637 charter, and a seated figure of Hibernia, introduced in 1730 as a duty mark and now the Dublin assay office mark. Dublin date letters began in 1638. The Assay Office still works from Dublin Castle under the Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin.
Dublin uses two signature marks: a crowned harp and a seated Hibernia. Charles I's charter of 22 December 1637 incorporated the Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin and prescribed the crowned harp and a maker's mark for gold and sterling silver. The first assay under the charter was made on 6 April 1638, and the office still operates in Dublin Castle.
What do the harp and Hibernia marks mean?
The crowned harp is Ireland's sterling standard mark; Irish silver was never marked with the English lion passant. Hibernia, a seated female figure, was introduced on 25 March 1730 to show that a new duty had been paid. The duty ended in 1890, but Hibernia stayed and is now the mark of the Dublin Assay Office itself.
The harp's outline helps date a piece: it follows the shape of the harp until 1787, sits in an oval from 1787 to 1794, and in an upright clipped-corner frame from 1794. Hibernia appears in an oval until 1794. Between 1807 and 1890 a sovereign's head duty mark appears as well. Some 1730 and 1731 Dublin silver lacks Hibernia, so its absence alone proves nothing.
How do Dublin date letters work?
Dublin date letters began in 1638 even though the charter never mentions them. The early cycles are regular, the years from 1678 to 1772 are irregular and hard to date to the year, and from 1773 the cycles run regularly again. From 1821 every Dublin mark and its date is recorded in a register.
| Years | Letters |
|---|---|
| 1638 to 1657 | Capitals A to U |
| 1658 to 1677 | Small italics a to u |
| 1678 to 1772 | Irregular; dating to the year is unreliable |
| 1773 to 1796 | 24 capitals, no J or V |
| 1797 to 1820 | 24 capitals, no J or V |
| 1821 to 1845 | 25 capitals |
| 1846 to 1870 | 25 small letters |
| 1871 to 1895 | 25 block capitals |
| 1896 to 1915 | 20 blackletter capitals, A to U |
| 1916 onward | Later cycles |
What marks does Dublin strike today?
Hibernia is now compulsory on everything the Dublin Assay Office hallmarks, and since 2002 it has been struck on all such work whatever its origin. The crowned harp has become an optional traditional mark. Dublin is outside the UK system, so it never adopted the shared UK date letter of 1975.
See Irish silver hallmarks for provincial Irish marks such as Cork and Limerick.
How do you date a Dublin-marked piece?
- Confirm the crowned harp and check for Hibernia: Hibernia means 1730 or later.
- A sovereign's head means 1807 to 1890.
- Read the harp's frame: shaped (before 1787), oval (1787 to 1794) or clipped rectangle (from 1794).
- Match the date letter to a Dublin table; before 1773, expect a range rather than a single year.
Other offices: London , Birmingham , Sheffield , Edinburgh , Glasgow , Chester . All seven compared on the assay office marks page.
Sources
- Assay Office Ireland: history of the assay office
- Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin
- Dublin hallmarks (date tables after Jackson, 1921)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a harp hallmark mean on silver?
A crowned harp is the Irish sterling standard mark, used by the Dublin Assay Office since its 1637 charter. It means the silver is 92.5% pure, the same standard as English sterling, which uses a lion passant instead. Today the harp is an optional traditional mark beside the compulsory Hibernia.
What is the Hibernia hallmark?
Hibernia is a seated female figure personifying Ireland. Dublin introduced it on 25 March 1730 to show that a duty on silver had been paid. The duty ended in 1890, but the mark continued and is now the town mark of the Dublin Assay Office, struck on everything it hallmarks.
Is the Dublin Assay Office still open?
Yes. The Company of Goldsmiths of Dublin runs the Assay Office in Dublin Castle, where it still tests and hallmarks precious metals. It is the only assay office in Ireland and operates under Irish law, separately from the four UK offices.
