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
Learn how the Hallmarking Act applies to the world of Antique Silver
Get hands-on experience with objects from the London Assay Office’s Fakes & Forgeries collection under the expert guidance of GHAC members.
Tickets are priced at £65 per person and include two servings of tea, coffee and biscuits during the day along with a lunchtime sandwich buffet.
Programme
10:00 – Doors open for Registration
10:30 – The role of the Goldsmiths’ Hallmark Authentication Committee - Dr Timothy Schroder, Chair of the GHAC
10:45 – 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
11:45 – Tea & Coffee break
12:00 – Scientific testing and antique silver - Will Evans, Director of the London Assay Office
12:15 – Researching silver and hallmarks in the Goldsmiths’ Company Library & Archive - Eleni Bide, Head of the Goldsmiths’ Company Library & Archive
12:30 – Antique Silver and the Law - John Stirling, Law Clerk of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of Edinburgh and GHAC member
13:00 – Q&A
13:15 – Lunch break
14:00 – Roundtable handling sessions of fakes and forgeries - hosted by members of the GHAC
16:00 – 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.
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.
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 Head of the Goldsmiths’ Company Library & Archive. In her role, Eleni manages the Goldsmiths’ Company’s Library and Archive and has worked with this unique collection for fifteen 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.
John Stirling
John Stirling is a Solicitor Advocate in private practice in Scotland. He has a broad civil practice. He is the Law Clerk of the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of Edinburgh. John is a member of the British Hallmarking Council and of the GHAC. He was Ormond Pursuivant at the Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral as well as the King’s Coronation and is now Ross Herald.
Terms & Conditions
Tickets for “Marks of deception: tackling fakes & forgeries in antique British silver” are priced at £65 per person 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, Coffee, and water will be provided at registration and during the morning refreshment breaks. A buffet sandwich lunch will be provided. For health and safety reasons, additional 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.