Published 2 June 2026
A 1485 charter
In 1485 James III granted the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh the right to test and mark precious metals. The mark adopted was the three-towered castle, drawn from the city arms of Edinburgh. The castle has been struck onto Scottish-assayed gold and silver continuously from that date.
For most of its history, Edinburgh was the only assay office in Scotland. Glasgow had a separate office for a period (1819 to 1964) using a tree-fish-bell-bird town mark, but it closed in the mid-20th century. Today, all Scottish hallmarking goes through Edinburgh.
Reading the castle
- Find the row of punches inside the shank, on the clasp, or on the back of the pendant.
- Read the standard mark first to anchor the rest.
- Identify the three-towered castle in its shield. On older pieces the shield outline may be more elaborate.
- Read the date letter if present. Edinburgh uses its own letter cycle distinct from London, Birmingham and Sheffield.
- Read the sponsor mark, usually two or three initials in a rectangular punch.
The thistle and the lion rampant
Older Edinburgh silver also carries the thistle, used between 1759 and 1975 as the silver standard mark for Edinburgh. The lion rampant was used briefly in some Scottish marking. From 1975 onwards the standard system was harmonised across the UK and Edinburgh marks the modern numeric standards.
Common Edinburgh pieces
Scottish 9ct and 18ct rings, Edinburgh-assayed quaich bowls, Celtic-revival brooches and 19th-century Scottish silver flatware are all common in domestic UK collections. Edinburgh-marked Victorian and Edwardian jewellery often carries especially fine sponsor marks because the Scottish trade produced highly skilled craft work.
A note on Scottish provincial marks
Provincial Scottish silver was historically marked by silversmiths in Aberdeen, Banff, Dundee, Inverness, Perth, Glasgow and other burghs, sometimes without a formal assay office. These pieces carry maker initials and town letters but not always a standard mark. Identification is a specialist field. Modern Scottish hallmarks go through Edinburgh.
How the castle is used in valuation
A buyer reads the castle as confirmation that the piece was assayed in Edinburgh at a known and continuously operating UK office. The standard mark records the claimed purity. The XRF test on arrival confirms the alloy. Where mark and alloy agree, the offer is paid on the standard at the live market.
Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market. Your parcel is insured up to £2,500 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. See how to sell gold by post.
A close
The Edinburgh castle is one of the more romantic marks in the UK system. It connects a 21st-century pendant to a 1485 royal charter through a single small punch. The system is alive and working. Pieces leaving the Edinburgh office in 2026 still carry the same three-towered profile that came off the bench five centuries ago.
Common questions
When was the Edinburgh Assay Office founded?
1485, by royal charter from James III to the Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh.
Is the Edinburgh castle used on all four metals?
Yes. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are all marked at Edinburgh with the castle as the town mark.
What does the thistle mean on Edinburgh silver?
It was the Edinburgh silver standard mark from 1759 to 1975, used alongside the castle.
Was there a Glasgow assay office?
Yes, from 1819 to 1964, using a town mark featuring a tree, fish, bell and bird. It closed in the mid-20th century.
Is Scottish provincial silver hallmarked?
Provincial silver carries maker initials and town letters but often no formal standard mark. It is a specialist area.
How do I date an Edinburgh-marked piece?
Use the date letter and shield shape, cross-referenced with the Edinburgh date-letter chart. The shape of the castle itself can also narrow the era.
Are quaich bowls hallmarked?
Solid silver quaich bowls are hallmarked. Souvenir base-metal versions are not.
Will GoldPaid value Edinburgh-marked pieces?
Yes. Same postal method as any other hallmarked or unmarked piece. The written valuation is built on the XRF result, weight and the live market.