Hallmark

Origin of: Hallmark

Hallmark

Originally, since 1721, a hallmark was the official stamp of quality and genuineness for gold and silver articles as approved by Goldsmith's Hall in London. Its figurative use, in the general sense of a high standard of quality or expertise that can be applied to anyone or anything, for example, "Roger Federer is the hallmark of tennis genius", dates from the 1860s.