Marks, Stamps & Labels
This section is about the highest-value evidence collectors encounter day-to-day: maker’s marks, hallmarks, pattern codes, retailer stamps, institutional property marks, and paper labels. When they’re genuine and legible, marks can anchor an object to a maker, a country system, and often a date range—far more reliably than “it looks like” or a dealer story.
The Notebook Standard
Each entry in Marks, Stamps & Labels separates three layers: what the mark literally is, what it can support, and the most common ways people misread it. The goal is not to “upgrade” an object—it’s to keep conclusions stable under scrutiny.
What Marks Can Prove (Often)
- Maker / manufacturer. The most common “hard anchor” you can get from an object.
- Country system or assay office. Helpful for narrowing time, trade routes, and supply chains.
- Date ranges (sometimes exact dates). Especially in formal hallmarking systems or when a dated print/contract is present.
- Pattern families and standardized issue. Codes and stamps can connect objects to documented pattern catalogs and institutional programs.
What Marks Usually Cannot Prove (By Themselves)
- Specific ship identity. A maker’s mark says who made it—not where it lived afterward.
- Passenger class. Many lines used the same suppliers across classes or over long periods; objects also migrated and were repurposed.
- Authenticity in isolation. Marks can be forged, mis-struck, or transplanted. Corroborate with construction, wear, and comparison.
How to Photograph and Record Marks
- Use raking light. A low-angle flashlight across the surface can make faint strikes legible.
- Multiple angles. One photo rarely captures everything; take 3–6 angles.
- Include scale. A ruler or coin nearby helps show stamp size and placement.
- Record location. “Under base, near foot,” “inside rim at 2 o’clock,” “on reverse, lower margin,” etc.
- Transcribe literally. Write down exactly what you see before you interpret it.
Common Failure Modes
- Polishing and wear. Over-cleaning can soften detail and erase edge cues.
- Partial marks. Only a fragment survives; people fill in the rest with wishful thinking.
- Similar symbols. Crowns, lions, anchors, shields—many systems reuse the same motifs in different contexts.
- “Looks like” reading. Treat uncertain letters as unknown; do not force a perfect reading.
Entries in This Section
This index will grow. Early entries focus on the marks most frequently used (and misused) in listings: silver terminology, plate systems, hallmark-like symbols, and common institutional stamp patterns.
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How to Photograph Hallmarks (Quick Guide)
Lighting, angles, and transcription habits that turn a “maybe” mark into a usable record.
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Common Silver Marks in Listings (What They Actually Mean)
“EPNS,” “A1,” “STERLING,” “925,” and the difference between marketing language and verifiable marking systems.
Suggested Reading Paths
- If you’re evaluating a listing: Marks → Materials → Identify
- If a ship name is driving the price: Marks → Attribution → “Unknown”
- If you want the method: Collecting Guide → Evidence → Marks