Which assay office

[SteveLAO]

LydiaNiz: so long as they are in one packet! Doesn't really matter how many hallnotes you use!

[LydiaNiz]

Yay! Thanks Steve!

[medusa]

You will be contravening the hallmarking act if you remove a hallmark (actual words from the act: "Remove, alter, transpose or deface any hallmark struck on an article, except in accordance with the written consent of an assay office") without authorisation. Fines of up to £5K and up to 10 years in prison!!!

So here are your choices: have the item hallmarked but don't have the date letter (as the date letter is a voluntary mark now) OR have the item underweight so it doesn't need a hallmark OR don't describe it as silver.

You cannot really sell a "repro" as an "antique" anyway can you? It would be a trade's description contravention surely?? I can understand that you have lost sales if the buyer was looking for a genuine antique and found he was looking at a repro....

I always have the letter mark because I don't want there to be any question about how old the repro I sell actually is. I know another maker of repro stuff who doesn't hallmark and her stuff is on ebay all the time as antique with the sellers knowing they are repro. I've spent ages trying to convince her to hallmark but as she's nearing retirement and having seen the damage done to some of my repros when marked, she doesn't want to go through the bother as her stuff is all under-weight.

I had a couple of repro pendants on etsy and was contacted by two different potential buyers about the backs of the pendants. they wanted to know how big and how deep the marks were. I can't imagine another reason for wanting this information other than to assess if it was possible to pass them off as antique.

also, I now have an empty inbox

[SteveLAO]

The repro/antique thing fortunately (for me!) is not so much a hallmarking issue but more of a trading standards/trade's descriptions issue (and an ethical one too?). Glad to see you're making proper use of the date letter....which is what's it's there for after all!!!
Sorry to hear about damage to your bits...hope that's not us is it??

[medusa]

The repro/antique thing fortunately (for me!) is not so much a hallmarking issue but more of a trading standards/trade's descriptions issue (and an ethical one too?). Glad to see you're making proper use of the date letter....which is what's it's there for after all!!!
Sorry to hear about damage to your bits...hope that's not us is it??

nope, not London! I might look into getting them lasered as I suppose I could have the hallmarks really big then.

It is a totally ethical issue and one which, unfortunately ebay won't address. If I see a repro passed off as antique I'll inform the seller but only if they don't have previous form and they look like they might be genuine. Sometimes sellers have bought something in good faith and those ones usually take the listing down or revise it. Others just tell me to bog off.

I don't think TS would be bothered. It's a kind of caveat emptor situation. If people are silly enough to pay huge sums for stuff which is 'attributed' to whoever but there is no hallmark present, then I suppose it's their lookout. I've put a guide on ebay detailing how to spot such copies and I guess education is the best approach.

[surfergirl]

Laser marks aren't as deep as a struck mark but if you ask for "deep" when you send in the note they will cut it deeper for you than a standard laser mark.

Ooohh…I didn't know there was a deep laser mark option. I've just posted a packet to you today which you should receive tomorrow - is it too late to request a deep laser mark?

[SteveLAO]

hmmm, yes, probably a bit late for this time......do it for next time?

[surfergirl]

lol thanks for the super quick response, Steve. I thought that would be the case . I'll definitely ask for this the next time round

[ShinyLauren]

Steve, is it possible to have a second punch made for me to keep at home to stamp underweight items with my mark? If so, how much are the punches? I registered a few years back now and can't remember the cost!

Thanks

[SteveLAO]

ShinyLauren, I'm trying to look you up on our database to see what kind of punch you have. If you let me know whether or not part of your address contains a musical instrument and a colour I'll be able to work out who you are on our system and see the punch you have . Yes you can order another sponsor punch but the price varies dependent on the type of punch and the number of initials.