When did gold first get hallmarked?

Gold was first hallmarked in the 14th century, specifically in 1300, in England. The practice began when the Assay Office in London was established to ensure the purity of gold and silver items. A hallmark typically consists of a series of marks indicating the metal's quality, the maker's mark, and the year of assay, providing consumers with assurance of the metal's authenticity. This system of hallmarking has since been adopted in various forms across many countries.