Britannia silver

Introduction to Britannia Silver

• Britannia silver is an alloy of silver containing 11 ozt 10 dwt silver in the pound troy.
• It is equivalent to 2324, or 95.833% by weight silver, with the rest usually being copper.
• Introduced in England by Act of Parliament in 1697 to replace sterling silver as the obligatory standard for wrought plate items.
• The lion passant gardant hallmark denoting sterling was replaced with the figure of a woman called Britannia.
• The leopards head mark of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths was replaced with a lions head erased.

Historical Context of Britannia Silver

• Britannia standard silver was introduced as part of the great recoinage scheme of William III in 1696.
• It aimed to limit the clipping and melting of sterling silver coinage.
• The higher standard for wrought plate made it difficult to use sterling silver coins as raw material.
• Additional fine silver would have to be added to meet the higher standard.
• Complaints from the trade led to the reauthorization of sterling silver for silversmiths in 1720.

Hallmarking and Symbolism

• Since the hallmarking changes of 1 January 1999, Britannia silver is denoted by the millesimal fineness hallmark 958.
• The symbol of Britannia is applied optionally.
• The silver bullion coins of the Royal Mint issued until 2012 were minted in Britannia standard silver.
• These coins are known as Britannias for their reverse image.
• Britannia silver should be distinguished from Britannia metal, which contains no silver.

Sterling Silver

• Sterling silver is an alloy containing 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper.
• It was the obligatory standard for items of wrought plate before the introduction of Britannia silver.
• Sterling silver is widely used for jewelry, flatware, and decorative items.
• It has a higher hardness compared to Britannia silver.
• Sterling silver is still a popular choice for hallmarking in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

References

• 'Britannia Standard.' Antiques in Oxford. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
• Forbes, John (1999). Hallmark: A History of the London Assay Office. London: Unicorn Press Ltd. ISBN 9780906290262.
• Forbes, John (1999). Hallmark: A History of the London Assay Office. London: Unicorn Press Ltd. p.161.
• Forbes, John (1999). Hallmark: A History of the London Assay Office. London: Unicorn Press Ltd. p.162.
• Forbes, John (1999). Hallmark: A History of the London Assay Office. London: Unicorn Press Ltd. p.185.

Britannia silver Data Sources