Hallmarks · By country
French hallmarks
The most rigorous Continental system and the smallest marks. French punches are frequently under a millimetre and are struck where they will not show, so a loupe is not optional.
- Marking since
- 1838
- Gives a year
- No
How the system works
The modern system dates from 1838 and uses animal and figure heads rather than letters. It guarantees fineness and indicates whether a piece was made in France, imported or intended for export. It does not give a year.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Eagle's head | 18 carat gold, 750, from 1838 to today. |
| Minerva head | Silver. A numeral 1 beside the head indicates 950, a numeral 2 indicates 800. |
| Boar's head | Small silver work assayed in Paris, 1838 to 1961. |
| Crayfish | Small silver work nationally, from 1962. |
| Owl | Gold imported into France of at least 750 fineness, from 1893. |
| Swan | Used on items of uncertain or foreign origin sold within France, typically at auction. |
The standards
| Figure or mark | Fineness and use |
|---|---|
| 950 | First standard silver. |
| 800 | Second standard silver. |
| 750 | 18 carat gold, the only gold standard recognised in France for most of the period. |
Dating a french piece
French marks give a period, not a date. The most useful transitions are 1838, when the current system began, 1893, when the owl import mark for gold appeared, and 1962, when the crayfish replaced the boar's head on small silver work.
Where the marks will not give you a year, date the piece from its construction instead: the catch, the metal, the setting and the cut of the stones. That method is set out in how to date antique jewelry.
Where people go wrong
- French marks are struck on hidden edges: the inside of a shank, the underside of a bezel, the very edge of a clasp. Many French pieces are wrongly described as unmarked.
- An owl means the gold entered France, not that it was made there.
- Before 1838 several different systems ran in quick succession through the Revolution and Empire, including cockerel and head marks. Attribution of pre-1838 French work needs specialist reference.
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