The number of gold and silver pieces hallmarked in December 2019 decreased by 7.1% and 12.7% respectively, according to figures compiled by the Birmingham Assay Office.
Gold hallmarked pieces decreased from 312,281 to 290,186 and silver items decreased from 373,756 to 326,442 during the month.
Additionally, palladium decreased by 37.7% to 917 items hallmarked during the period. Platinum hallmarking increased by 2.6% to 20,980.
Overall hallmarking in December decreased by 9.8% from 707,965 to 638,525 pieces.
The assay offices also released hallmarking data for the entirety of 2019, which saw a 4.1% decrease in hallmarked pieces from 9,114,402 in 2018 to 8,736,614 in 2019 – 377,788 less articles.
Silver hallmarked pieces decreased by 5% in 2019 to 4,407,949, compared with 4,640,569 in 2018, and palladium hallmarked items fell by 47.8% to 32,705, compared with 62,667 last year.
Gold hallmarked articles decreased by 13,9083 to 3,974,560, compared with 4,113,643 in 2018. Platinum was the only positive results for the year, which saw a 1.9% to 32,1400 items hallmarked.
| Month Dec -18 | Month Dec -19 | Variance | % | |
| Gold | ||||
| 999 | 66 | 173 | 107 | 162.1 |
| 990 | 7 | 0 | -7 | -100 |
| 916 | 22,053 | 25,372 | 3,319 | 15.1 |
| 750 | 63,201 | 61,086 | -2,115 | -3.3 |
| 585 | 11,980 | 11,164 | -816 | -6.8 |
| 375 | 214,974 | 192,391 | -22,583 | -10.5 |
| 312,281 | 290,186 | -22,095 | -7.1 | |
| Silver | ||||
| 999 | 539 | 814 | 275 | 51 |
| 958 | 632 | 61,607 | 60,975 | 9647.9 |
| 925 | 372,580 | 263,896 | -108,684 | -29.2 |
| 800 | 5 | 125 | 120 | 2400 |
| 373,756 | 326,442 | -47,314 | -12.7 | |
| Platinum | ||||
| 999 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 100 |
| 950 | 20,412 | 20,959 | 547 | 2.7 |
| 900 | 37 | 9 | -28 | -75.7 |
| 850 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 100 |
| 20,445 | 20,980 | 525 | 2.6 | |
| Palladium | ||||
| 999 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 950 | 1,203 | 580 | -623 | -51.8 |
| 500 | 270 | 337 | 67 | 24.8 |
| 1,473 | 917 | -556 | -37.7 | |
| Totals | 707,965 | 638,525 | -69,440 | -9.8 |
| 2018 | 2019 | Variance | % | |
| Gold | ||||
| 999 | 710 | 1,656 | 946 | 133.2 |
| 990 | 129 | 250 | 121 | 93.8 |
| 916 | 421,175 | 370,471 | -50,704 | -12 |
| 750 | 828,999 | 842,540 | 13,541 | 1.6 |
| 585 | 163,777 | 181,757 | 17,980 | 11 |
| 375 | 2,698,853 | 2,577,886 | -120,967 | -4.5 |
| 4,113,643 | 3,974,560 | -139,083 | -3.4 | |
| Silver | ||||
| 999 | 19,905 | 16,851 | -3,054 | -15.3 |
| 958 | 11,774 | 78,291 | 66,517 | 564.9 |
| 925 | 4,608,202 | 4,312,462 | -295,740 | -6.4 |
| 800 | 688 | 345 | -343 | -49.9 |
| 4,640,569 | 4,407,949 | -232,620 | -5 | |
| Platinum | ||||
| 999 | 62 | 161 | 99 | 159.7 |
| 950 | 296,976 | 320,480 | 23,504 | 7.9 |
| 900 | 322 | 450 | 128 | 39.8 |
| 850 | 163 | 309 | 146 | 89.6 |
| 297,523 | 321,400 | 23,877 | 8 | |
| Palladium | ||||
| 999 | 8 | 365 | 357 | 4462.5 |
| 950 | 51,852 | 22,613 | -29,239 | -56.4 |
| 500 | 10,807 | 9,727 | -1,080 | -10 |
| 62,667 | 32,705 | -29,962 | -47.8 | |
| Totals | 9,114,402 | 8,736,614 | -377,788 | -4.1 |
