Hallmarks · By country
Ottoman or Turkish hallmarks
Ottoman silver carries the sultan's monogram, which identifies the reign and therefore gives a date range without any letters or numbers being involved.
- Marking since
- eighteenth century
- Gives a year
- No
How the system works
Ottoman work carries a tughra, the calligraphic monogram of the reigning sultan, together with a sah mark indicating that duty had been paid. Republican Turkish work from 1928 uses crescent marks with fineness figures.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tughra | The sultan's monogram, identifying the reign. |
The standards
| Figure or mark | Fineness and use |
|---|---|
| 900 | The usual Ottoman and Turkish silver standard. |
| 916 | 22 carat gold, the regional default. |
Dating a ottoman or turkish piece
The tughra identifies the sultan and therefore brackets a piece to his reign, which is usually a period of ten to thirty years.
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
- Tughras are difficult to read and are extensively copied. Attribution needs someone who reads Ottoman script.
- 900 is a common Ottoman and Turkish silver standard.
Other countries
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