Certification and Marks of the Portuguese Assay Office

The Portuguese Assay Office is the official and technical service integrated into the National Mint Office. This service ensures the testing and marking of articles containing precious metals, as well as the affixing of the mark guaranteeing the legal fineness of these articles, and also exercises other powers provided for in current legislation, with complete independence from any activities in the sector.

According to Portuguese Law No. 98/2015, all silver, gold and platinum products must be hallmarked and the hallmark must include the type of precious metal and its purity. All our products, composed of precious metal, are duly marked.

The symbol present in the hallmarks varies depending on the metal:

• Gold – a ram's head, facing right, for the 750, 585 or 375 rings and a ram's head, facing left, for the 999, 916 or 800 rings;
• Silver – a rabbit head, facing left, for 999 and 925 rings and a rabbit head, facing right, for 835, 830 or 800 rings;
• Platinum – hummingbird head, facing left, for 999, 950, 900 or 850 tones;
• Palladium – lynx head, facing left, for the 999, 950 or 500 rings.

The Assay Mark is the oldest form of consumer protection. This is the only way to attest to the legal compliance of articles for their introduction into the market, thus constituting an advantage and security for the consumer. It also allows the identification of articles marked by the Portuguese Assay Office.

Please always check the most recent Portuguese Assay Office map to verify the authenticity of the item. However, some more exclusive pieces, because they are older, may have a different legal mark compared to more recent pieces, but they are still certified by the Assay Office.

The following table contains the legal marks issued by the Portuguese Assay Office that guarantee the type and quality of precious metals in articles containing precious metal. If you prefer to visit the website, click here .

 

The daily price of precious metals can be found on the Banco de Portugal website and on the Associação de Ourivesaria e Relojoaria de Portugal (AORP) based on the Banco de Portugal reference databases, click here . You can also check the international prices of metals through the LBMA Precious Metal Prices, click here .