Hallmarks are added to silver to guarantee the age and quality of a piece, and can also provide information on where and by whom the piece was made.

Irish silver is hallmarked by the assay office, located in Dublin castle.

A knowledge of silver hallmarks can help with the speedy identification of a piece of silver. Here we will look at some early Irish silver hallmarks.

The mark that should appear on all Irish silver is the Harp Crowned, see left. This should appear on all Dublin marked silver, regardless of age. Sometimes, the shape of the silhouette around the harp crowed may vary. This is normal, and is a useful authentication tool. In the first example, the shape of the stamp followed the shape of the harp crowned. In the next example below, the punch is an oval.

The date letter lets us know when the piece was made. The letter cycles through the alphabet over a 24 year period (J and V are omitted). From cycle to cycle, either or both of the font or shape of the silhouette may change. Below is the date letter T, for 1708, beside the harp crowned and the maker's mark of PT.

In 1730, a new hallmark was introduced, that of Hibernia. This mark is still used to this day. As with the date letter and harp crowned, the shape around her changes from cycle to cycle.

In the middle of the 18th century, it was not unusual for the assay office to omit the date letter. This is not necessarily a cause for concern, as the date of the piece can often be deduced from the style, and from the shape of the harp crowned. The hallmarks below are from a coffee pot from c. 1755, by William Townsend of Dublin. Note that there is no date letter.

Sometimes the hallmarks may become worn over the years. This can make reading of the hallmarks quite challenging. In the example below, the marks are slightly rubbed, but remain largely legible.

In 1807, a new mark was introduced - a duty mark, of the monarch's head. In the example below, it is the mark on the right. Note also what appears to be two maker's marks. They are in fact the marks of the maker and the retailer.