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Thread: Hallmarking in the UK as a foreigner?

  1. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis View Post
    Steve, you are a much valued member of the forum, so I hope you won't be offended if I take issue with the Assay office position on this. Ancient institutions can become fosilised and by definition, fossilised means dead.

    When this rule was made, laser marks were unknown and to insist on them now is doctrinaire. It does not make sense to have a punch made if you intend never to use it. At some stage this should be debated and updated. After all, why strike a light, when you can switch it on. Dennis.
    Hi Dennis, of course I'm not offended! This is the whole point of forums.....where you can have good old discussions!!

    However, here is some good news! Although we do insist that you have a sponsor's punch made, we do not charge you (as some other offices do) for the creation of the software to enable you to mark by laser, so if it's a price issue, then it's as long as it's broad!

    In addition, we keep a record of all sponsor's marks by striking the punch on a "marking plate". These are large plates of copper or brass that record the mark and we have these going back hundreds of years.These big plates probably wouldn't fit in the laser machines anyway!!

    You're quite right that laser marking came along after the act was written, and what I guess really needs to be done is a change in the wording of the act, but until that happens at least you get complimentary laser software creation with us

    BTW thanks for the description of fossil - which of course means "preserved remains from the past" which is exactly what we are doing - preserving the remains of this earliest form of consumer protection

  2. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by ps_bond View Post
    Tsk, tsk Steve - security through obscurity? That's only ever a short-term solution!
    I shall go and have a peer at one of my pieces under the scope with the magnification cranked way up
    Hahahahaha it seems to have served the Bank of England well for centuries! Wish you luck with your detective work!
    Last edited by SteveLAO; 06-09-2013 at 08:49 AM.

  3. #23
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    I know, I know - but the Mint has to change things regularly as technology that had kept things out of reach of counterfeiters becomes cheaper. Look at the initial worry when photo-capable printers became cheap, for example.

  4. #24
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    yes I know...we have to be on our toes all the time to be able to identify the latest scams...and of course the best fakers haven't even been caught yet!!

  5. #25
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    All good & well having microscopic "extra" bits, but stuff being flogged at markets & such are hardly likely to be scrutinised until it`s too late anyway as not everyone has a microscope in their handbag.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gemsetterchris View Post
    All good & well having microscopic "extra" bits, but stuff being flogged at markets & such are hardly likely to be scrutinised until it`s too late anyway as not everyone has a microscope in their handbag.
    Absolutely right, but the average Joe wouldn't be able to spot a fake struck mark either. The "extra" bits are for our benefit and also to make forgers aware that we are on to them and can spot the differences. It's just as much about a deterrent as well as identification after the act!

    We will never stop them faking, nor stop people from buying "£100 pound bracelets for £10" on a market stall, but we have to be proactive and make it as difficult for the forgers to think they can get away with it as we can.
    Last edited by SteveLAO; 06-09-2013 at 09:28 AM.

  7. #27
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    Where can I get £100 bracelets for £10 ??????

  8. #28
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    There was a market stall in London with that very advert!!! I do believe the trading standards department confiscated several kilos of them

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