The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-04-03
.ENGLISH Halt MARKS
The True Ones Are the Leopard
and the Lion.
LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES
The System Inverted by the Gold
smiths Company OF London Is a
Lasting lnGss to tho Age and GEN
uiaeness Of Old Silver Articles.

Z
uiaeness o. Old Silver Articles.
Every mark on your old silver means
something. and If you care 10 be sure
saceJ It's age or maker a study OF
t.iese marks and the system is essen
.lal. A record hns been kept at Cold
sni,,is' hall, London, for tiye centuries
Of al annual date letters and Of the
reg cred silyersmiths and their pri-
vl;e marks.
In 1887 King Edward III. granted a
cliarser to the Goldsmiths' guild. Dur
ing lie reign Of Edward N. tie Cold
smit;s' Company OF London, as IL
came to lie known. invented land put
into practice IN alphabetical system OF
mGrf:s, thanging each year, There
We're 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 hive not only lasting In
dex by which to judge the age of gold
and liver, hut we haye guarantee of
gem lneness.
Neither the date marks nor makers
marks are hail 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 alton
rassint was added. These marks were
punched into the metal with die, the
anir:ai appearing in shield or oblong
field.
Until 1850 small crown appeared
owe; H. lion; from 1867 TO 1880 the
pnncheou followed the outline of the
lions ;jody; after that the lion appear
ed on nj ob!ong shield. These various
forms of the hall mark indicate certain
broad periods and are sometimes help.
tul in determining the age OF piece
of silver when the date mark is indis-
tinct. The date letter or year mark
system seems to have been definitely
settled about l5tS, for, although there
was an alphabetical system more than
fifty years before, 1t is customary to
20 back to 1918 as an accurate starting
point.
Charles II. raised the standard OF the
metal, and in 1866 the new quality was
given 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, 1920 there was re-
turn to the old and present standard
of metal. with the leopard's head and
tue lion PEASANT. Naturally these Bril-
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 1880 the initials were substitute
ed. For example. prior to this date
Paul Lamerie's mark was La. After
ward it became p L..
Thus We're 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 mark making five
punches in all There were ehanges
frsm time to time in the llxed hail
marks which are worth noting, For
example, the ieopartt' s head %asiset' in
a puncheon following Its outlines until
1873. when 1t: began to appear IA "a
symmetrical shield of fre Sides.
in 1906 the head was reduced some
what In SKYE. In 1870 the leopard lost
his beard and his shield became OBJ
aong, and In 1879 his crown was taken
away frem him. These were ali j ON.
don marks. There were In addition
( provincial marks. The Edinburgh hal
mark dates from l4.I1. 1t was .astrfpls
tnrreted castle or 4ower The stand
ard mark was thistle, which was
Z substituted for the sAssay masters Ani
itiais n 17oI. The date letter .cFole.
oegan In Edinburgh in 1851.
Glasgow had curious embIeui-;
tree W.ith a bird in 4lle ton a bell hang
ing frnm Que branch and a fish across
the trunk, stamped in an oval punch
,eon. The sheffield and birmingham
nah marks We're = crown and an an
.ctior respectively. with the lion paSsan
ms the standard mark Dublin Ind
crowned harp.
Now, 10 go back to the subject o.
date marks, i cannot do lnore thar
barely indicate what there Is In tn,
iaubject for those who wish 10 20 Int,
Il seriously Different cities or haii.
had different YEAR marks. ! MIL dea
only with the London marks, "a BeinE
! .by Car the most Important.
Each year had assigned % It let
tar or the alphabet. which was stamp
ed ON every piece al silver made Of
sold in London TINT zear wsesl tie
alphabet was used np fhsr wenf bad
TO A again. takiue USUALLY sisatly
dinereot form al ie;tes- Iaese alpha
bets stopped NJ tie ie.s-r 70 aha,
Zach of ihese tys.lcs Is IN .eveA fx,snty
years In length.
One way nf cu5rztcrf, ting ui1 sGlrer
Is TO make a ne:fe-; c,;g "a - old
piece IN some alloy IN s.iue IT faick