Article having a wear resisting precious metal coating

An article topped by a wear resistant coating comprising a precious metal from the group including gold, silver, rhodium, palladium, platinum, iridium, osmium and ruthenium or any alloy of the foregoing, said coating being made up of a first layer of said precious metal or alloy thereof, and a second layer of said precious metal or alloy thereof, said second layer being electrodeposited on said article, said first layer comprising discrete inclusions of a metallic compound formed by an oxide, a nitride, a carbide, a boride, a phosphide, a silicide or a fluoride, said inclusions being distributed in a substantially homogeneous manner thorugh the entire thickness of the first layer, said first layer being applied over said second layer by vapour deposition (CVD) or PVD), its thickness being equal to or greater than 0.4 um, the total thickness of the coating and its precious metal content being such that said article is entitled to bear hallmarking.