After a 42-year career in antique jewellery and four years of research, the author has published the most reliable reference ever printed on the subject of official French post 1789 hallmarks. Each hallmark is illustrated by a carefully verified drawing, and most hallmarks are also illustrated with a photo. The utilisation of each hallmark is noted, as well as its period of use. A detailed table sets out for the first time all the assay office marks since 1789, the little secret marks within the hallmarks that reveal the towns in which objects were hallmarked. This information, together with the opening and closing dates of each assay office, enables one to accurately date jewellery and silverware.

And, for the first time in any reference book, the 58 European towns occupied by France during the Napoleonic wars are listed with their assay office marks.

This book corrects the numerous errors observed in all the previous references and is destined to become THE go-to reference on French hallmarks. 

Format 148 x 210 mm (A5), 192 pages, glossy 150g paper, sewn for long life and hard cover.

Book Les Poinçons Français des métaux précieux de 1789 à nos jours

This book is in French, however a PDF file with an excellent English translation of each page is supplied free of charge upon request. Published February 2024. 

This book can be autographed, on request, by the author Michael C. W. Fieggen, author also of the reference book Traditional French Jewellery, available here.

To contact the author : bijouregional  (at)  gmail (dot) com              

To find information on French regional jewellery, check out the website www.bijouxregionaux.fr.