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A monarch's head marking that excise duty had been paid.
Also known as: Sovereign's head, Kings head on silver, Queens head mark
A small profile head of the reigning sovereign. Struck between 1784 and 1890 to show that duty on the silver had been paid, which makes it one of the most precise dating tools in the system — the monarch narrows the range immediately.
A profile head of the reigning monarch struck on British silver and gold to indicate that excise duty had been paid on the article.
United Kingdom · 1784–1890 · Contexts: Jewellery
In use from 1784 until duty was abolished in 1890, so its presence places an article firmly within that century and the monarch depicted narrows it further.
1784–1890
A tax mark rather than a quality mark: it says the state was paid, not that the metal is finer. Its absence on a piece from the period may indicate duty evasion, which was widespread.
Distinct from commemorative marks showing a monarch's head, which are optional and celebratory — a jubilee mark is not a duty mark.
A small side-on portrait head struck inside an oval or shaped outline.