Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-02
WHAT "HALLMARKS" MEAN.
Methods BY Which Purity of Gold and
Silver Are Tested.

Everyone who has bought a gold ring
or silver chain knows what the hall
marks are like, but few, says The Biz
mingham Post. have a clear idea as TO
whence they came and what they mean.
Many people imagine that a sterling"
or standard" article is made of pure
gold or silver, but as matter of fact it
is necessary to mix with the precious
metal n certain proportion of harder
metal before it can be worked into ar
ticles of commerce. This fact would
open the way to very easy and profitable
frauds if the Law did not make special
provisions for the protection of the
purchaser of gold or silver plate. The
first statute for this purpose was en-
acted more than 500 years ago, and
the main principles then laid down are
adopted in most of the modern assay
acts. viz, that all gold and silver goods
shall be equal to certain standards. and
shall not be offered for sale until assay
ed and marked by the wardens of the
craft. An important act was passed in
the reign of Richard H., and as our old
law makers were not so verbose as their
successors. it may be quoted verbatim
in n few lines: Because gold and sill
YER which is wrought by goldsmiths in
England. is oftentimes less fine than
it ought to be. because the goldsmiths
are their own judges. be it ordained
that henceforth every goldsmith puts
his own mark upon his work,
and the assay of the Touch be-
longs to the mayors and gov
errors of the cities and boroughs, with
the aid Of the Master of the Mint. if
there be such, putting the mark of the
CITY or borough where the assay is"
The duty here assigned to the mayors
and governors has devolved upon the
goldsmiths' companies, and they have
delegated it to the officials of the assay
offices. of which there are now four in
England. two in Scotland and one in
Ireland.
OF these institutions Birmingham has
by far the largest. In spite of what
some may say as to it's ancient consti-
tuition. the Birmingham Assay Office
leads the way in improving the process
of assay. The establishment Of an as
say Office in Birmingham was largely
due to the efforts of Matthew Boulton
(the versatile partner Of James Waltz.
who was one of the chief promoters OF
the act of 1878 There are SO guardians,
of whom nine are representatives OF
the trade. the rest being public men Of
such varied types as Lord Norton and
the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain.
They are appointed for life, and elect
wardens, of whom there are at present
five.
There are two alternative methods
for trying silver. and two consecutive
operations for testing gold. In olden
times both metals were assayed by
simply rubbing the plate with piece
of hard, black and smooth stone, and
wetting the touched places with the
tongue, so as to bring to light the vari-
Gus tints which distinguish one quality
of precious metal from another. This
rough and ready method is still used
for certain purposes, but the touchstone
leaves too much to the judgement of
the opera tor to fulfill the requirements
of the Assay Office. The process at
present recognized by law is known as
1.-THE dry way" to distinguish it from |
"the wet way" So far as II goes, the |
dry method Is used for both silver and |
gold. The lead covered pill of precious |
metal is placed in a small cupel OF
bone, and heated over gas
fire in an air furnace of an improved
designed by Arthur Westwood.
When all the silver has been dissolved
the pure gold left in the platinum
cupel is SO brittle that 1t has to be an
nealed before it can be weighed to tell
how much silver has been extracted
from it, By comparing the weight Of
the pure gold. with the original five /
grains you get the proportion Of gold to
alloy in the manufactured article.