The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-10-22 00:00:00

ORIGIN OF THE STAMP ON PLATE.

The trial of Mr. Savory, for " knowingly having silver plwe
in his possession without its- bearing the stamp of the Gold-
smiths' Hall, which will come on at the Old Bailey Sessions, con •
mencing on Thursday, excites considerable interest, not merely
amongst the parties engaged in the trade, but amongst the pub-
lie. A. few particulars relative to the origin of " stamping"
of plate, will therefore perhaps prove a matter of some infor-
mation to our readers.. The following account has been ob-
tained by a careful examination of various ancient.. documents
and printed authorities :
In that part of Cheapside which is within this ward (Bread-
street), stood a beautiful set-;of houses and shops, called " Gold-
smith's-row," they were built by Thomas Wood, goldsmith,
and one of the Sheriffs of London, in the yeaT.,.1491; It con-
tained in number 10 dwelling-houses and 14 shops, all in one
frame, uniformly built, four stories high, beautified towards the
street with the goldsmiths' arms, and the likeness of woodmen,
in memory of his name, riding on monstrous beasts; all of which
were cast in lead, richly painted over. and gilt. These he gave
to the goldsmiths, with stocks of money to be lent to young
men having those shops, &c. This said front -.was again new
painted and gilt over in the year 1594, Sir Richard, Martin be-
ing then Mayor, and kseping his mayoralty in one Of them, and
serving out the time of Cuthbert Buckle. in that office, from the
2d of July till the 28th of October.
The goldsmiths kept their shops and trade in Westcbeap
from ancient times, even before-the days of. King Edward 111.
until the Clues of King Charles 1., and the exchange for the
King's coin was hot far off the place-yet called the " Old
Change," as appearS by this record, showing not only the place
of the goldsmiths' habitation, but their occupation and business
about the coin and plate.
Upon the goldsmiths' petition, exhibited to King Edward 111.
and his council in parliament, holden at 'Westminster in the
first of his reign, showing that no private merchant nor stranger
heretofore were wont to bring into this land'any money coined,
but plate of silver to exchange for our .coin. And that it had
been also ordained that all who were of the goldsmiths' trade
were to sit in their shops'in the High-street of Cheap, and that
no silver in plate, nor vessel of gob? or silver-ought to be sold in
the city of London, except at or in the Exchange, or in Cheap-
side among the goldsmiths, and -that publicly; to the end that
the people of the said trade might inform themselves whether
the seller came lawfully by such vessel or not. But that now
of late the said merchants, as well private as strangers, brought
from foreign countries into this nation counterfeit sterling,
whereof the pound was not worth above 16s. of the right ster-
ling; and IX this money none could know the true value by
melting it down. And also that many of the said trade of gold-
smiths kept shops in obscure turnings, and by-lanes and streets,
and did -buy- vessels of gold and silver secretly, without inquir-
ing whether such vessels were stolen or lawfully come by; and,.
immediately melting it down, did make it into plate and sell it
to merchants trading beyond sea, that it might be exported.
And-so they made -false work of gold and silver, as bracelets,
lockets, rings, and other jewels, in which they set glass 'of divers
eoloure,..eounterfeiting.right, stonca; and'pat sts;sreailloyln the
silver than they ought, which they sold to such as had no skill
in such things.
And that the cutlers, in their workhouses, covered tin with
silver so substantially with such slight, that the Sank could not
be discerned, and severed from the tin ; and by that means
they sold the tin so covered for fine silver, to the great damage
and deceit of the king, and his people.
Whereupon the said goldsmiths petitioned the King, that he
would be pleased to apply a convenient remedy therein. And
he, being willing to prevent the said evil (as the letters patent
ran,) did, by and with the assent of the lords spiritual and
temporal and the Commons _of the realm, for the common
profit, will and grant for. him and his heirs, that henceforth no
merchant, either private or stranger, should bring into this land
any sort of money, but only plate of fine silver, nor that any
gold or silver wrought by goldsmiths or any plate of silver
should be sold to the merchant to sell again and to be carried
out of the kingdom; -but should be sold at the King's said Ex-
change, or openly among the said goldsmiths, for private use
only; and that none that pretended to lie of the same trade
should keep any shop but in Cheapside, that it might be seen
that their works were good and right. And.that those of the
same trade might, by virtue of these presents, elect honest,
lawful, and sufficient men, best skilled in the same trade to in-
quire of the matters aforesaid; and that they so chosen might,
upon due consideration of the said craft, reform what defects
they should find therein, and thereupon inflict due punishment
upon the offenders; and that, by the help and assistance of' the
mayor and sheriffs, if occasion be, and that in. all trading cities
and towns in England, where goldsmiths resided, the same or-
dinance be observed as in London. And that one or two of
every such city or town, for the rest of that trade, should come
to London to be ascertained of their touch of gold, and there to
have a "stamp" of a puncheon with a leopard's head, marked
upon their work, as of ancient time it bath been ordained.—
These letters patent bore date at Westminster, the 30th of
March, in the first year of the King.—London Paper. -