LONDON (CU)_The British Hallmarking Council (BHC) is the non-departmental public body responsible for supervising hallmarking in the United Kingdom. Historically, commemorative marks have been produced to signify a special event, providing a particular point of interest for the jewellery trade and the consumer.
Therefore, there is no better occasion which calls for a special commemorative mark than Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. On 6 February, Her Majesty marks seventy years since she acceded to the throne back in 1952, when she was 25 years old. The United Kingdom, together with Commonwealth countries across the globe will mark the historical occasion with a host of national and community events. In the UK, Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family will travel around the country throughout this year to undertake a variety of engagements to mark this major milestone.
Against this backdrop, the event is expected to provide a boost for precious metals, platinum in particular. The Platinum Jubilee mark sanctioned by the BHC was designed by jewellery manufacturer Thomas Fattorini. It depicts an orb and reflects the traditional fineness mark for platinum, which can be can be applied alongside a statutory hallmark by any one of the four UK assay offices located in London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Sheffield.
According to the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC), the silver-white metal is the precious metal of choice synonymous with the commemoration of special occasions, particularly when celebrating a seventieth anniversary. For instance, when Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to celebrate a platinum wedding anniversary, a set of commemorative platinum coins were issued by the Royal Mint in honour of the occasion. They featured a double portrait of the monarch and her husband Prince Philip.
