The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-03-01
ENGLISH HALL MARKS
The True Ones Are the Leopard
and the Lion.
LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES
The System invented by the Gold.
smiths Company Of London is .
Lasting Index to the Age and Gen.
uineness OF Old Silver Articles.

Lasting Index to the Age and Gen.
uineness OF Old Silver Articles.
Every mark on your old silver means
something, and II you care to be sure
about its age or maker a study OF
these marks and the system is essen
tial. 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-
! yate marks.
In 1897 King Edward III. granted a
charter 10 the Goldsmiths' guild. Dur
ing the reign Of Edward ". the Gold
smiths Company OF London, as II
came to be known. invented and put
into practice an alphabetical system Of
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 a guarantee OF
genuineness.
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 1915 a lion
! passant was added These marks were
punched into the metal with a die. the
animal appearing In shield or oblong
| field.
Until 1850 a 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 1913, for, although there
was an alpha abetical system more than
fifty years before. II Is customary to
go back to 1918 as an accurate starting
point.
Charles III. raised the standard Of the
metal, and in 1905 the new quality was
given a new mark, Britannia sitting in
! an oblong puncheon, with lions
head erased. The standard was found
to be too soft for practical purposes,
however and in 1920 there was 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 1889 the initials were substitut-
ed. For example. prior to this date
Paul Lamerie's mark was La. After.
ward ii became L. l..
Thus were four marks on the silver
up TO 17S4-leopard's head. lion, date
letter and makers mark. In 1854 the
sovereign's head was added-the gov
ernmental customs matchmaking five
punches in all. There were changes
from time to time in the fixed hall
marks which are worth noting. For
example. the leopard's head was set In
puncheon following its outlines until
1878, when it began to appear in n
symmetrical shield OF five sides.
In 1896 the head was reduced some
what in size. In 1920 the leopard lost
his beard and his shield became OBJ
long. and in 1923 his crown was taken
away from him. These were all Lon
provincial marks. The Edinburgh hall
mark dates from 1457. Ii was triple
turreted castle or tower. The stand
ard mark was a thistle, which was
substituted for the assay masters ini-
tials In 1867. The date letter cycles
began in Edinburgh in 1851.
Glasgow had a curious emblem-a
tree with bird liz the top, bell hang
ing from one branch and "A 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 q
crowned harp.
Now, TO so back To the subject OF
date marks, cannot do more than
barely indicate what there is In the
subject for those who wish to 60 into
it seriously. Different cities or halls
had different year marks. l will deal
only with the London marks. as being
by far the most important.
Each year had assigned to il 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
10 A again. taking usually slightly
different form OF letter. These alpha.
bets stopped at the letter L. 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 il thick