{{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = Hallmarking Act 1973{{efn|Section 24(1).}} | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act to make fresh provision for the composition, assaying, marking and description of articles of, or containing, precious metals, and as to agencies for the implementation and enforcement thereof; and for purposes connected with those matters. | year = 1973 | citation = [[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1973|1973]] c. 43 | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = United Kingdom | royal_assent = 25 July 1973 | commencement = {{ubli|1 January 1974 (Section 13 of and Schedule 4)|1 January 1975 (remainder)}}{{efn|Section 24(2).}} | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = {{ubli|[[Customs Consolidation Act 1876]]|[[Revenue Act 1883]]|[[Revenue Act 1884]]|[[Customs and Inland Revenue Act 1890]]|[[Finance Act 1907]]|[[Forgery Act 1913]]|[[Common Informers Act 1951]]|[[Customs and Excise Act 1952]]}} | replaces = {{ubli|[[Standard of Silver Plate, etc. Act 1696]]|[[Assay of Plate Act 1702]]|[[Plate Duty Act 1719]]|[[Plate (Offences) Act 1738]]|[[Gold and Silver Thread Act 1741]]|[[Plate (Offences) Act 1772]]|[[Plate (Offences) Act 1772]]|[[Plate Assay (Sheffield) Act 1784]]|[[Gold and Silver Thread Act 1788]]|[[Gold Plate (Standard) Act 1798]]|[[Plate Assay (Ireland) Act 1807]]|[[Plate (Scotland) Act 1836]]|[[Customs Act 1842]]|[[Gold and Silver Wares Act 1844]]|[[Gold and Silver Wares Act 1854]]|[[Wedding Rings Act 1855]]|[[Hall-marking of Foreign Plate Act 1904]]|[[Assay of Imported Watch-Cases (Existing Stocks Exemption) Act 1907]]|[[Hall-marking of Foreign Plate Act 1939]]}} | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = Amended | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1973/43/enacted | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = yes }}
The '''Hallmarking Act 1973''' (c. 43) makes up the bulk of modern law regarding the [[assay]]ing and [[hallmark]]ing of metals in the [[United Kingdom]]. Hallmarking is a way to guarantee the purity of precious metals. Metals are tested and, if they meet a certain minimum purity requirement, are marked with a specified seal. In the United Kingdom, this is done by the [[assay office]]s in [[London]], [[Birmingham]], [[Sheffield]], and [[Edinburgh]]. The act made business transactions involving unmarked metals illegal. Trading Standards departments are responsible for enforcing the act.
Another notable consequence of the act was the formation of the [[British Hallmarking Council]] (BHC). This council is responsible for advising the Secretary of State in matters of hallmarking, ensuring that the UK has acceptable hallmarking facilities, and overseeing the assay offices so that they follow the legal hallmarking standards. The council has made many important contributions concerning UK hallmarking procedures. In 1992, the [[European Commission]] proposed a directive intended to cover hallmarking. The BHC examined the document and found multiple areas of ambiguity and deficiency.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}} When the [[European Parliament]] voted on the council's recommendations, many were approved.
The Hallmarking Regulations 1998 and the Hallmarking Order 1998 legitimised hallmarks of other member states (those countries that ratified the [[Convention on the Control of Articles of Precious Metals]] of 1972). The council was responsible for clearing up ambiguous statements in the regulations and for extending its definition to deal with other problems in the hallmarking law. These changes include seven additional standards of fineness, a change in the standard mark, and the dropping of the date requirement on marked metals.{{Citation needed|date=January 2012}}
== Notes == {{Notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}} *{{cite book|last=Cinaman|first=Diana Sanders|title=All About Antique Silver with International Hallmarks|year=2006|publisher=AAA Publishing|isbn=978-0-9785168-0-2}} *{{cite web |title = Hallmarking Act |url = http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/buying-selling/Adprice/Hallmarking/page7988.html |access-date = 2007-02-12 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070205103803/http://www.dti.gov.uk/consumers/buying-selling/Adprice/Hallmarking/page7988.html |archive-date = 2007-02-05 |df = }} *{{cite web|url=http://www.britishhallmarkingcouncil.gov.uk/hlaw.htm|title=Hallmarking Law|publisher=British Hallmarking Council|accessdate=27 January 2012|archiveurl=https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100406130351/http://www.britishhallmarkingcouncil.gov.uk/hlaw.htm|archivedate=6 April 2010}}
[[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1973]]