To commemorate the occasion of Her Majesty The Queen becoming the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee in 2022, which follows seventy years of service, the British Hallmarking Council, has sanctioned a commemorative component mark.
The approval process of the mark took place over the last year and involved engineers at Goldsmiths' Hall refining designs for use by laser, or punches ranging in size from 1mm – 6mm in height.Commemorative marks have proved popular with UK consumers. In 1934 a voluntary mark celebrating the Silver Jubilee of H.M. King George V and H.M. Queen Mary was available to silversmiths for two years between 1934 and 1935. Its popularity led to further commemorative marks: for the Coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and 1954; for the Silver Jubilee in 1977; for the Millennium in 1999 and 2000; for the Golden Jubilee in 2002 and the Golden Jubilee in 2012.
A spokesperson for the Assay Offices of the UK said, "The UK Assay Offices have a long tradition of capturing special occasions with the creation of commemorative marks. Not only does it provide the trade with an additional narrative for the products that carry the mark, but it also brings the importance of the hallmark into focus with the jewellery and silver buying consumer."
Jewellers, silversmiths and retailers can request the mark from their assay office from November 1st 2021. It can be applied to a hallmark without a date letter until the end of 2021. Throughout all of 2022 the commemorative component mark can be applied along with the new year date letter.
The addition of the commemorative mark will cost £1 for each article on which it is struck as standard. Laser and feature commemorative marks may be subject to additional charges.
Contact your assay office for more information.
