I take the point made by the previous posting but my question was specific - does the brooch have a HALLMARK ? A Hallmark consists of 3 essential elements - 1. The lion to indicate British gold, 2. An Assay Office mark indicating the specific location (London, Birmingham, Sheffield, etc.) and 3. A date letter. Marks which simply say 925, 18ct or 22ct. are not Hallmarks - they are gold standard marks, which are not the same. So, if this brooch has a lion, Assay mark and date letter (for 1942) then it is clearly genuine. As to exemptions for certain items, it is true that small trinket or jewellery items did not require full Hallmarking. Also, a maker's mark was not a requirement but as I see the letters HS it does suggest H. Samuel the Jewellers - particularly as that would be just the place to go for a private purchase item such as this and in this quality. Hope that clarifies the point I made initially. Regards. David