Marks of deception: tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver
Fakes & Forgeries Seminar | Friday 12 April 2024 | 10:00-16:30 | Goldsmiths’ Hall
Marks of deception: tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver on Friday 12 April is now fully booked, please sign up to our mailing list to learn about future events.
Hallmarking is one of the world's oldest forms of consumer protection – a guarantee to those buying and selling items made of precious metals that they have been expertly tested, and that the marks they bear truthfully reveal their composition – a proud responsibility of the Goldsmiths’ Company since 1327.
But where you have systems designed to protect buyers and sellers, you will also find those intent on acts of deception - cunning artificers, who create fakes and forgeries, not just of the objects, but of the hallmarks themselves.
To tackle the creation and sale of spurious silver articles and hallmarks, the Goldsmiths’ Company London Assay Office has run the internationally renowned Goldsmiths’ Hallmark Authentication Committee (GHAC) - formerly the Antique Plate Committee - since 1939. Comprising established experts in the field, it advises the London Assay Office on the authenticity of an article’s provenance based on the Hallmark, professional analysis of the object, and a scientific analysis of its metals.
In this one-day seminar at Goldsmiths’ Hall, you will:
Hear how the GHAC and the London Assay Office help to protect consumers and the trade from fakes and forgeries of Antique British Silver
Discover the resources available within the Goldsmiths’ Company Library & Archive and learn how you can access them for free
Explore the different types of fake British silver created over the centuries
Hear about the recent increase in attempts to forge the maker’s mark of Paul de Lamerie [1688-1751]
Get hands-on experience with objects from the London Assay Office’s Fakes & Forgeries collection under the expert guidance of GHAC members.
Bookings are now closed for this event.
Programme
10:00 – Registration
10:30 – The role of the Goldsmiths’ Hallmark Authentication Committee - Dr Timothy Schroder, Chair of the GHAC
10:50 – Fakes in British Silver, c.1700 to today - Alastair Dickenson, special advisor to the GHAC and former expert on the BBC’s Antiques Road Show
11:35 – Tea & Coffee break
11:50 – Scientific testing and antique silver - Will Evans, Director of the London Assay Office
12:10 – Researching silver and hallmarks in the Goldsmiths’ Company Library & Archive - Eleni Bide, Goldsmiths’ Company Librarian
12:30 – Lunch break
13:30 – Fakes marks of Paul de Lamerie - Peter Cameron, GHAC member
13:50 – Tea & Coffee break
14:10 – Roundtable handling sessions of fakes and forgeries - hosted by members of the GHAC
16:10 – Concluding remarks - Dr Timothy Schroder, Chair of the GHAC
16:30 – Seminar ends
Our speakers
Dr Timothy Schroder
Dr Timothy Schroder has served twice as Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company and is chairman of the Goldsmiths’ Hallmark Authentication Committee (formerly known as the Antique Plate Committee). He is a specialist in Renaissance and early modern silver and was head of Christie’s silver department before becoming Curator of Decorative Arts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). After a period as a dealer in antique silver he went on to serve as the first Curator of the Gilbert Collection at Somerset House and as a Consultant Curator at the V&A.
Will Evans
Will Evans is the Director of the Goldsmiths’ Company London Assay Office. One of the four modern Assay Offices, the London Assay Office currently tests and hallmarks approximately two million articles a year. Along with ensuring the quality of precious metals in modern silver and jewellery, the Assay Office also runs the GHAC and provides laboratory testing for the Trial of The Pyx - providing reassurance to both consumers and the trade. Will joined the London Assay Office in the year 2000 as a laboratory assistant, and studied in the evening for a degree in information systems (which the Company funded). This led to a move out of the lab in 2007, and set him on the path to becoming Director in 2022.
Eleni Bide
Eleni Bide is the Librarian at the Goldsmiths’ Company. In her role, Eleni manages the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Library and Archive and has worked with this unique collection for fourteen years. As the UK's largest specialist library pertaining to jewellery, silversmithing and hallmarking, Eleni and her team are responsible for maintaining the items within the Library and Archive and facilitating access to members of the Goldsmiths’ Company and the general public. Before joining the Goldsmiths’ Company, Eleni trained as a design historian and her previous roles include freelance writing, curating and teaching undergraduate jewellers and silversmiths.
Alastair Dickenson
Alastair Dickenson is a special advisor to the GHAC, and former silver expert on the BBC’s Antiques Road Show, who has worked in the trade for more than 50 years. Alastair began his career in the silver trade at Phillips Fine Art Auctioneers, in 1971. By 1983 he had been appointed Head of Antique Silver at Asprey, before becoming a Director of the Antiques Department in 1994, and establishing his own business in 1996. Long fascinated by fakes and forgeries, Alastair has provided evidence in major court cases, and wrote the booklet Antique Silver and the Law for the Goldsmiths’ Company. Alastair is a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company.
Peter Cameron
Peter Cameron is a Freeman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, and member of the GHAC, Having read History at Peterhouse, Cambridge, Peter began dealing in, and researching, antique silver in 1974. His interest in silver was sparked when aged, eight, he was given a copy of Bradbury's Book of Hallmarks. Armed with this, he used to visit John Bourdon-Smith's shop and purchase small silver pieces with saved up pocket money. On his mother's side, Peter's family connections with the silver and jewellery trade go back to the early nineteenth century - his great grandfather joining Lambert's of Coventry street in 1848 and his great great uncle establishing the firm of London and Ryder at 17 New Bond Street in 1850. Some of Peter's research articles can be found in the Silver Society Journal and attached to the 'Research' tab of his website
Terms & Conditions:
Tickets for “Marks of deception: tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver” are priced at £25 per person, are limited to two per booking, and are non-refundable
Tickets must be booked in the name of the person who is attending - photo ID that matches the name on the booking will be required to gain entry
Tea and Coffee will be provided during the two refreshment breaks. Lunch is not provided. For health and safety reasons, food and drink cannot be brought into Goldsmiths’ Hall by visitors
Security & bag policy
Goldsmiths’ Hall operates Airport style enhanced security procedures for all public events - these include a bag scanner and a security arch. Suitcases and items larger than a laptop bag are not permitted inside the building. Our cloakroom, situated downstairs, can be used free of charge for coats, bags and umbrellas.
Disabled access to Goldsmiths’ Hall
The main entrance to Goldsmiths’ Hall is on Foster Lane and may not be suitable for visitors who require step-free access. Those who are require level access from street level should ring the bell on Carey Lane, for assistance and access by lift. If you have any concerns or questions about visiting the building, please email us.
The first floor Public Rooms can be accessed by lift from within the ground floor lobby.
A disabled toilet is situated beside the Ground Floor lift on the Ground Floor.