Page 675 - Chinese SIlver By Adrien Von Ferscht

THE T.90 MARK

T.90 is a mark that any silver collector will come across and its
significance needs explaining. Because some silver items
carrying this mark have, to the uninitiated, what might be
construed as a Chinese look, it is not uncommon to see such
items mistakenly described as Chinese Export Silver. The
harsh reality is it isn’t so.

The ’T.90’ is a mark based on the old Tola system of weight initiated by the British East India Company in its
capacity as official managing and facilitating agent of the British government in India. 1 Tola = 11.4gm approx.

The Tola formed the base for units of mass under the British Indian system and was also the standard measure
of gold and silver bullion. Although the Tola has been officially replaced by metric units since 1956, it is still in
current use and is a popular denomination for gold and silver bullion bars in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan
and Singapore as well as Zanzibar and Aden. It was also used in Cambodia [Khmer silver] from circa 1915.

It is still used in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states
T.90 inevitably was used by Chinese
silversmiths working in Singapore or
Cambodia

A variation on the T90 mark with the
addition of “%”

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