Hallmarks · By country
Danish hallmarks
Denmark dates its silver, and does so in plain digits rather than letters, which makes it the easiest Continental system to read. Three towers over the number 24 means 1924.
- Marking since
- 1608
- Gives a year
- Yes
How the system works
The Copenhagen town mark of three towers in a row, normally with the last two digits of the year of assay beneath. Alongside it sits the mark of the assay master then in office, and a maker's mark. The fineness is given as a figure followed by S for silver.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Three towers | Copenhagen town mark, 1608 to 1977, usually over two digits giving the year. |
The standards
| Figure or mark | Fineness and use |
|---|---|
| 826S | The older Danish silver standard, to about 1915. |
| 830S | The standard Danish and Scandinavian silver of the twentieth century. |
| 925S | Sterling, used increasingly for export from the mid twentieth century. |
| 585 or 14K | The usual Danish gold standard. |
Dating a danish piece
Read the digits under the towers. Where they are worn, the assay master's initials give a range on their own: SG for Simon Groth to 1904, CFH for Christian F. Heise from 1904 to 1932, and JS for Johannes Siggaard from 1932 to 1960. The three towers system was discontinued in 1977.
Where people go wrong
- Do not confuse the Danish three towers, which stand in a row, with the Edinburgh castle, which has three towers on a single wall.
- 826S is the older Danish standard and points to work before about 1915. 830S is the twentieth century standard.
- A great deal of Danish silver made for export from the 1950s onward is marked 925S Sterling Denmark with no town mark at all.
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