PROCEDURE

An article may be submitted to the APC free of charge. A receipt and a Notice of Procedure are issued. The latter describes in detail the treatment of unauthorised marks. The APC considers the article through a combination of objective scientific testing and connoisseurship. Discrete samples may be taken in order to establish the approximate age of the article by spectrographic analysis.

Other non-destructive scientific methods, and comparison with genuine hallmarks of the period may be used in order to assist the Committee in reaching its decision. The Committee's decision is final.

TREATMENT OF UNAUTHORISED MARKS

Section 7 of the Hallmarking Act (1973) specifies how an assay office must deal with unauthorised marks and unauthorised alterations and additions. Depending upon the age of the article, the unauthorised marks will either be cancelled, or obliterated. The owner then has the option of submitting it for hallmarking as a new article, and being charged accordingly, or having it marked with LAO and the case number.

INFORMING THE OWNER

The owner, or person appearing to have control of the article, is informed by a letter from the Assay Office of the decision of the Committee. This may be a simple statement that the article complies with the Hallmarking Act (1973). For articles which do not comply with the Act, the treatment of the marks, and the subsequent options are specified.

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