What Does the Lion Stamp Mean on Silver?

The lion passant (a lion walking to the left with its right forepaw raised) is the official sterling silver fineness mark used by UK assay offices. It confirms that the piece has been independently tested and verified to contain at least 92.5% pure silver — the same standard indicated by the numeric 925 stamp used internationally. The lion passant has been in continuous use since 1544, making it one of the oldest consumer protection marks in the world.

The lion passant appears as part of a sequence of hallmarks on British silver. A complete set of UK hallmarks includes the sponsor's (maker's) mark, the standard (fineness) mark (the lion passant for sterling silver), the assay office mark (indicating which office tested the piece — the leopard's head for London, the anchor for Birmingham, the rose for Sheffield, or the castle for Edinburgh), and optionally a date letter. Together, these marks provide a complete record of who made the piece, what it is made of, where it was tested, and when.

It is important to distinguish the lion passant from other lion-related marks. Scottish silver uses the lion rampant (a lion standing on its hind legs) rather than the lion passant. The leopard's head (London assay office mark) is technically a lion's face shown head-on, despite its name. And some European countries use their own lion-based marks — for example, the Finnish lion and the Dutch lion — which have different meanings within their own hallmarking systems.

The lion passant appears within the hallmark sequence on the inside of ring bands, near clasps on necklaces and bracelets, on the underside or base of silverware, and on the backs of brooches. A jeweler's loupe or magnifying glass is essential, as hallmarks on small jewelry items are often only 1-2 millimeters wide. On antique silverware and larger items, the hallmarks may be more prominent and easier to read.