Hallmarks · By country
German hallmarks
One law in 1888 replaced centuries of independent city marks with a single national mark. That gives you a hard floor: a crescent and crown cannot appear on anything made before 1888.
- Marking since
- 1888
- Gives a year
- No
How the system works
A crescent moon beside a crown, struck alongside a fineness figure and usually a maker's mark. Introduced by the Reichsgesetz of 1888 and still in use.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Crescent and crown | The national mark for silver and gold, from 1888. |
The standards
| Figure or mark | Fineness and use |
|---|---|
| 333 | 8 carat gold. A German and Dutch standard with no equivalent in Britain or America. |
| 375 | 9 carat gold. |
| 585 | 14 carat gold, the German workhorse standard. |
| 750 | 18 carat gold. |
| 800 | The common German silver standard. |
| 835 | A frequent alternative silver standard. |
| 925 | Sterling, used mainly for export. |
Dating a german piece
There is no date mark. The crescent and crown establishes 1888 or later. Before that, German work carries city marks and assayer marks that vary town by town and require regional reference works.
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
- Germany is the main home of 333 gold, which is 8 carat and only one third gold. It is legal as gold in Germany and is not recognised as gold in Britain, France or the United States.
- 800 silver is the German default rather than sterling. A German piece marked 800 is entirely proper and is not sterling.
- Pre-1888 German silver from Augsburg, Nuremberg and the other free cities uses its own town marks and is a specialist field.
Other countries
United Kingdom · Ireland · France · Denmark · Sweden · Norway · Finland · Netherlands · Russia and the Soviet Union · Austria and Hungary · Italy · Switzerland · United States · Mexico · Portugal · Spain · India · China and Hong Kong · Japan · Turkey and the Ottoman Empire · International marks