Italy
Italy doesn't use pictorial town marks — every piece instead carries its maker's registered number inside a starred polygon, struck by the maker under state supervision.
In the atlas: Ponte Vecchio Goldsmiths · Vicenza Gold District
Mandatory maker's mark
The registered maker-number system was set up by Law 46/1968 and re-enacted by Legislative Decree 251/1999. Punches are sealed and audited by the Chambers of Commerce.
Mandatory maker's mark + fineness, under Chamber-of-Commerce oversight.
What you'll see struck
Marchio di identificazione
Maker's identification mark
A flattened-hexagon polygon holding a five-pointed star, the maker's progressive number, and the province code (AR Arezzo, VI Vicenza, MI Milano, FI Firenze).
Fineness mark
Millesimal title
The purity in thousandths, struck in a metal-coded outline; platinum and palladium add the letters Pt or Pd.
Fineness
- Gold
- 375 · 585 · 750
- Silver
- 800 · 925
- Platinum
- 850 · 900 · 950
- Palladium
- 500 · 950
Decode a mark you've found
Seen a number struck inside a piece? Read what it means, and how Italy marks it.
Heading there to buy? These district buyer's guides show how to read a hallmark at the counter, what a fair price looks like, and how to spot a fake.
- Metalli preziosi Verified
- Metalli preziosi Verified
A reference guide, not an authentication service. Marks vary by date and metal; consult the relevant assay office or standards body for definitive identification.