TL;DR The Edinburgh assay office mark is a three-towered castle, from the city's arms. Edinburgh sterling carries a thistle as its standard mark from 1759 to 1974 and a lion rampant from 1975. Date letters began in 1681 with the first assay master. Since Glasgow closed in 1964, Edinburgh has been Scotland's only assay office.
A three-towered castle is the Edinburgh assay office mark. Scottish hallmarking begins with the Gold and Silver Work Act of 1457, which made the deacon of the goldsmiths assay members' work and strike his own mark. The Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh still owns and runs the office today.
What marks appear on Edinburgh silver?
Edinburgh silver carries the castle, a maker's mark and a date letter, plus a standard mark that changed over time. Before 1759 the assay master's initials served as the standard mark. From 1759 to 1974 a thistle marked sterling. From 1975 a lion rampant replaced the thistle on all metals assayed in Edinburgh.
| Period | Standard mark |
|---|---|
| 1457 to 1681 | Deacon's mark |
| 1681 to 1758 | Assay master's initials |
| 1759 to 1974 | Thistle |
| 1975 onward | Lion rampant |
A thistle on sterling therefore dates a piece to 1759 to 1974 before you read the letter. Between 1784 and 1890 a sovereign's head duty mark joins the group.
How do Edinburgh date letters work?
Edinburgh date letters began in 1681, when John Borthwick became the first dedicated assay master, and they run in cycles of about 25 letters with a new typeface and shield for each cycle. Letters before 1755 are hard to map reliably. From 1975 Edinburgh shares the UK date letter that changes on 1 January.
Because the castle stayed in use through the whole period, the standard mark does more dating work in Edinburgh than elsewhere: assay master's initials, thistle or lion rampant. Match the letter's style against an Edinburgh table, not a London one. The date letter lookup explains how to read case, typeface and shield.
Is the Edinburgh Assay Office still open?
Yes. Edinburgh is one of the four UK assay offices and, since Glasgow closed in 1964, the only one in Scotland. The Incorporation of Goldsmiths received a royal charter from James VII in 1687. The office works from a former church built in 1816 and refurbished as an assay office in 1999; it added palladium in 2010.
How do you date an Edinburgh-marked piece?
- Confirm the castle and read the standard mark: initials (before 1759), thistle (1759 to 1974) or lion rampant (1975 on).
- Look for a sovereign's head, which places the piece between 1784 and 1890.
- Match the date letter's case, typeface and shield to an Edinburgh table.
Other offices: London , Birmingham , Sheffield , Glasgow , Chester , Dublin . All seven compared on the assay office marks page.
Sources
- Edinburgh Assay Office, Wikipedia
- Edinburgh hallmarks (date tables after Jackson, 1921)
- Hallmark, Wikipedia
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a castle hallmark mean?
On British silver or gold, a castle with three towers means the Edinburgh assay office tested and marked the piece. Edinburgh has used the castle, taken from the city's arms, for centuries. Pair it with the standard mark: a thistle dates the piece to 1759 to 1974, a lion rampant to 1975 or later.
Why does Scottish silver have a thistle?
From 1759 to 1974 Edinburgh used a thistle as its standard mark for sterling, where England used the lion passant. In 1975 Edinburgh replaced the thistle with a lion rampant. Glasgow, which used a lion rampant from 1819, added a thistle beside it from 1914 until it closed in 1964.
When did Edinburgh date letters start?
Edinburgh date letters began in 1681, the year John Borthwick was appointed the first dedicated assay master. Before that, the deacon of the goldsmiths assayed work and struck his own mark. Edinburgh ran its own cycles until 1975, when it joined the shared UK date letter.
