The Press., 1907-05-08
ENGLISH HALL MARKS
The True Ones Are the Leopard
 and the Lion.
LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES
Y The System Invented by the Gold smiths Company of London Is a Lasting Index to the Age and oen- .I;nanaas oE OId s;INar A ArAlHIaa


 smiths Company of London Is a
 Lasting Index to the Age and Gen.
 uineness of Old Silver Articles.
 Every mark on your old silver means something, and if you care to be sure about its age or maker a study of these marks and the system Is essen tial. A record has been kept at Gold smiths hall, London, for five centuries of all annual date letters and of the registered silversmiths and their pri- vate marks.
 In 1887 King Edward HI. granted a charter to the Goldsmiths' guild. Dur ing the reign of Edward W. the Gold smiths Company of London, as it came to be known, invented and put marks, changing each year. There were similar codes in the provincial assay offices.
 This system is one of the few be- quests of the middle ages which have stood the test of time practically with out change. By the provisions of this system we have not only a lasting in- dex by which to judge the age of gold and silver, but we have guarantee of genuineness. .>.rt
 Neither the date marks nor makers marks are hall marks, properly speak ing, though all marks on silver are commonly referred to as hall marks. The true hall marks are the leopard and the lion. The leopard's head was used first from 1900, and in 1545 lion passant was added. These marks were punched into the metal with die, the animal appearing in shield or oblong field
 Until 1850 small crown appeared over the lion; from 1857 to 1880 the puncheon followed the outline of the lions body; after that the lion appear ed on an oblong shield. These various forms of the hall mark indicate certain broad periods and are sometimes help full in determining the age of a piece of silver when the date mark is indis- tinct. The date letter or year mark system seems to have been definitely settled about 1518, for, although there was an alphabetical system more than fifty years before, it is customary to go back to 1518 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 oblong puncheon, with a lions head erased. The standard was found to be too soft for practical purposes, however, and in 172O there was a re- turn to the old and present standard of metal, with the leopard's head and the lion passant. Naturally these Bri- tannia pieces are rare.
 Makers began to use their private marks about 1868. At first they used the first two letters of the surname. About 1739 the initials were substitut- ed. For example, prior to this date Paul Lamerie's mark was La. After ward 1t became P. l.. ..
 Thus were four marks on the silver up to 1784-leopard's head, lion, date letter and makers mark. In 1764 the sovereign's head was added-the gov ernmental customs matchmaking five punches in all. There were cha4ees from time to time in the fixed hall marks which are worth noting. For example, the leopard's head was set in a puncheon following its outlines until 1878, when 1t began to appear in symmetrical shield of five sides.
 In 1896 the head was reduced some what in size. In 172O the leopard lost bis beard and his shield became ob- long, and in 1923 his crown was taken away from him. These were all Lon don marks. There were in addition provincial marks. The Edinburgh hall mark dates from 1457. It was a triple turreted castle or tower. The stand ard mark was a thistle, which was substituted for the assay masters mi tials in 1757. The date letter cycles began in Edinburgh in 1881.
 Glasgow had a curious emblem-a tree with bird in the top, bell hang ing from one branch and fish across the trunk, stamped in an oval punch con. The Sheffield and Birmingham hall marks were a crown and an an- chor respectively, with the lion passant as the standard mark. Dublin had a crowned harp.
 Now, to go back to the subject of date marks, I cannot do more than barely indicate what there is in the subject for those who wish to go into 1t seriously. Different cities or halls had different year marks. I will deal only with the London marks, as being by far the most important.
 Each year had assigned to 1t a let ter of the alphabet, which was stamp ed on every piece of silver made or sold in London that year. When the alphabet was used up they went back to A again, taking usually a slightly different form of letter. These alpha bets stopped at the letter U, so that each of these cycles is an even twenty years in length.
 One way of counterfeiting old silver is to make a perfect copy of an old piece in some alloy and give 1t thick coating of silver by the modern cleo troplate process. Such commercials are treated skillfully, hall marks and all being reproduced.
 On the bottom or inside of the piece may sometimes be found the granulat- ed or crystallized surfaces left by this process, though these are usually fooled over if in sight. Sometimes English hall marks have been cut from spoon or other small article of great age and transferred to a larger piece of more modern make.-Country Life In Amer lea.
 A Sardinian Titbit.
 The inhabitants of the mountainous