Just to keep members fully up-to-date with UK Hallmarking Act Amendments - There have been three key amendments to the Hallmarking Act recently passed under The Legislative Reform (Hallmarking) Order 2013:
1. The UK Assay Offices now have the ability to strike hallmarks outside of the UK with a new (assay office) mark, different from that used in the UK.
2. The requirement that a sponsor’s mark must include the initials of the sponsor’s name has been removed, giving more flexibility to register logo’s and trademarks as a sponsors mark as well (subject to approval).
3. The wording has been re-drafted relating to platinum coatings. This now allows articles of silver, gold or platinum, bearing a hallmark, to be coated with platinum without having to first obtain the written consent of an assay office.
The official amendments can be found at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/251/made
Trev.