hallmark
Inspection marks are the brands, seals, stamps and other marks that were affixed to or on certain goods at the time of the guilds as evidence of a quality inspection.
- Usually the term refers to the hallmarks of the silver stamps, see silver stamps # city marks (hallmarks) .
- Some brands of pewter also had this function.
- In a broader sense, placement stamps and goods seals, for example cloth seals, also belong to the inspection marks .
- Brand stamps on leather goods, furniture and barrels, stamps on bread or punches on blades and weapons are also used more rarely if they were used for the aforementioned control purposes.