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Assay Offices

There are four remaining assay offices in the UK and one in Ireland, authorised to test silver for fineness and apply hallmarks to those items that pass the tests. Their websites give useful information about their history and the process of hallmarking. In addition there are databases of makers’ or sponsors’ marks at Birmingham and Edinburgh and an identification service at Sheffield.

London                         Birmingham                         Sheffield                         Edinburgh

Other Sources for Marks

The main reference points for establishing marks are probably still books, such as ‘London Goldsmiths. Their Marks & Lives 1697 – 1837’ by Arthur Grimwade. However there are a number of useful websites, among which are these:

925-1000.com  -   Lists many American, British and other marks

silvermakersmarks  -  British silver marks

silvercollecting  - More American marks

Antique Silver Dealers

There are a number of dealers who have an extensive selection of silver wine labels and we list below two such dealers. This listing should not be regarded as endorsements of these dealers or recommendations but it does reflect that both are members of the Circle, have labels on their websites and on those websites have links to the Circle’s site.

Schredds  -  Established in 1970 and now well known for a range of "inspired silver smalls" including wine labels.

Steppes Hill Farm  -  Established in the 1960s and specialising in collectors' silver, including wine labels, and also fine porcelain.

Auction Houses

Wine labels come up for sale at many auction houses in the UK. Several of the larger houses regularly include labels in their sales and we list these below, though we would emphasise that other houses also sell labels from time to time

Bonhams  -  Wine label sales usually at their Knightsbridge auction rooms but sometimes in Bond Street and outside London

Christies  -  Wine label sales almost always at Christies South Kensington, London

Lyon & Turnbull  -  Edinburgh based but now establishing a presence in southern England.

Woolley & Wallis  -  Leading provincial auction house with a saleroom in Salisbury.

Other Societies

The Silver Society  -  London based society with the aim of widening the appreciation and knowledge of work in silver, plate and other precious metals, both antique and contemporary. Publishes a prestigious journal 'Silver Studies' once a year.

The Silver Spoon Club  -  While concentrating on spoons, its magazine 'The Finial' has extensive illustrations of marks.

Wine Labels

Wyard Druitt decanter labels  -  A website featuring a fine range of modern decanter labels

Enamel labels  -  A collection of articles on enamel labels by Dr Richard Wells, probably the leading authority on the subject