HALLMARK

I. noun Etymology: Goldsmiths' Hall, London, England, where gold and silver articles were assayed and stamped Date: 1721 1. an official mark stamped on gold and silver articles in England to attest their purity, a mark or device placed or stamped on an article of trade to indicate origin, purity, or genuineness, a distinguishing characteristic, trait, or feature , II. transitive verb Date: 1773 to stamp with a ~