Marks of deception: tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver

Hallmarking is one of the world's oldest forms of consumer protection – a guarantee to those buying and selling items made of precious metals that they have been expertly tested, and that the marks they bear truthfully reveal their composition – and a proud responsibility of the Goldsmiths’ Company since 1327.

But where you have systems designed to protect buyers and sellers, you will also find those intent on acts of deception - cunning artificers, who create fakes and forgeries, not just of the objects, but of the hallmarks themselves.

To tackle the creation and sale of spurious silver articles and hallmarks, the Goldsmiths’ Company London Assay Office has run the internationally renowned Goldsmiths’ Hallmark Authentication Committee (GHAC) - formerly the Antique Plate Committee - since 1939. Comprising established experts in the field, it advises the London Assay Office on the authenticity of an article’s provenance based on the Hallmark, professional analysis of the object, and a scientific analysis of its metals.

In this one-day seminar at Goldsmiths’ Hall, you will:

Hear how the GHAC and the London Assay Office help to protect consumers and the trade from fakes and forgeries of Antique British Silver

Discover the resources available within the Goldsmiths’ Company Library & Archive and learn how you can access them for free

Explore the different types of fake British silver created over the centuries

Hear about the recent increase in attempts to forge the maker’s mark of Paul de Lamerie [1688-1751]

Get hands-on experience with objects from the London Assay Office’s Fakes & Forgeries collection under the expert guidance of GHAC members.