Do you know what the 925 or leopard stamps on silver mean — or what they have to do with Pound Sterling? 💡🪙
Or that the system behind it is more than 700 years old?
Long before blockchain, there was the hallmark. One of the world's oldest systems for verifying provenance and authenticity.
Introduced in 1300, UK hallmarks are a series of official marks that certify a precious metal object's composition, origin and authenticity. In 1478, the London Assay Office was established at Goldsmiths' Hall, where precious metal objects were tested before receiving their official marks — giving the word 'hallmark'.
The 925 mark denotes sterling silver — an alloy containing at least 92.5% pure silver. The sterling standard became so trusted that it gave rise to the name Pound Sterling, when English silver coins were struck to the same recognised standard. The historic leopard's head identifies the piece as having been hallmarked in London.
Shown here is the hallmark on WORK by
@jackbutcher, handcrafted in sterling silver by Asprey Studio at our atelier in Kent, England. The sculpture bears the first official marks registered by the London Assay Office for Jack Butcher's Visualize Value (VV), linking his practice to a tradition of craftsmanship spanning more than seven centuries.
WORK traces the migration of labour from the physical hand to the digital cursor. While the digital piece reflects on work becoming increasingly abstract, the object itself is handcrafted in sterling silver and independently hallmarked — emphasising the enduring value of skilled making, scarce materials and verified provenance, principles that underpin Asprey Studio's practice.
#Handcraft #BritishSilversmith #Tradition #DigitalArt