The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-25
MARKS on OLD SILVER.
Their Use In Determining Its Age and
Genuineness.

Genutneness.
Every mark on your old silver means some
thing, and il you care to be sure about
it's age or maker a study Of these marks
and the system is essential.
A record has been kept at Goldsmiths'
Hall, London, for Ave centuries Of all annual
date letters inc Of the registered silver
smiths and their private marks.
In 1887 King Edward III. granted q char
ter to the Goldsmiths' Guild. During the
reign Of Edward ". the G~oldsmiths' Com
pany Of London, as 1t came to be known
invented and put into practice an alpha
betical system OF marks, changing each
year. There were similar codes in the
provincial assay offices.
This system 10 one OF the few requests
Of the middle ages which have stood he
test Of time practically without changes
says Counfry life in Amcrie1. By h pro-
visions OF this system we have not only q
lasting index by which to judge the age
Of gold and silver. but We have a guarantee
OK g~enuineness.
Neither the date marks nor makers
marks are hall marks, properly speaking,
though all marks on silver are commonly
referred to as hall marks. The true hall
marks are the leopard and the ion. The
JEOPARDY ncAu was uotu HTsJ, ITOIH IJUO,
and in l545 q lion PEASANT was added. These
marks were p~unched'into the metal with q
die, the animal appearing in a shield or
Until 1850 a small crown appeared over
the lion; from 1857 to 1880 the puncheon
followed the outline of the IONS body:
after that the lion appeared on an oblong
shield.
These various forms Of the hall mark
indicate certain broad periods, and are
sometimes helpful in determining the age
Of a piece Of silver when IN date mark 10
indistinct.
The date letter or year mark system
seems to have been definitely settled about
1878; for although there was an alphabetical
system more than fifty years before it il
customary to go back TO 1918 as an accurate
starting point.
Charles II. raised the standard OF the
metal and in 1895 the new quality was given
a new mark-Britannia, sitting in an OBJ
long puncheoD, with a lions held, erased.
The standard was found to be too soft for
practical purposes, however, and in 1920
there was a return to the old, and present;
standard Of metal, with the leopard's head
and lion PEASANT. Naturally, these Britain
MIA pieces are rare.
Makers began to use their private marks
about 1883. At first they used the first two
letters OF the surname; about 1879 the
initials were substituted.
For example, prior to this date Paul
~ ~ AHs WdAu IL v
came p. L.
mus mere were -FOUR marks on the silver
up 10 is4[ieopard head, lion, date letter
ana maker 3 mark; In 1874 the sovereign
neaq was governmental customs
MATCHMAKING I'VE punches IN all
Inere were changes made from time 10
time IN tne nxeH nall marks which are
worm noung. FOR example, the leopard's
neau was ser IN a puncneon Following its
0u.nnes uhuI log, wnen II oegan 70 appear
IN symmetrical shield OF hve sides.
III LoSo tns neau was reduced s2mewhat
III q mitSv She leopard lost ms beard
ana u ms snieio became obiong, and in 1923
ms crown was taken away from him.
insse were All marks. There wers'
- .uL = M Pro'inclal marks; me Edln-
.DrSirntfn q .nIrk uaCes rom 1897; IL was a
erSS ulre.vu Uas.Le ~ tower; me stand-
J. Hark was q tnlstie, whlch was sub
SysuIeT lot me assay masters initials IN
h.o.. u uaOo ietVer Cycles began In Edln-
N IDOL:
ur,th q q curious emnlem-a tree
WI" Will oI[d III Ihe CoP, a Dell hanging from
Sne DranGn' and a nsh across the TRUNK
~ "a ovai Puhcnson. Inc ohel-
LEU anu DLrmlnEham nan marks were 4
CTOWn ana an AlCnOr respectively. with tho