Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-03-20
ENGLISH HALL MARKS
The True Ones Are the Leopard
and the Lion.
LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES

Every mark on your old silver means
something. and II you care to be sure
about Its age or maker n study Of
these marks and the system is essen.
tial. y 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 III. granted a
charter TO the Goldsmiths' guild. Dur.
ing the reign Of Edward ". the Gold.
smiths Company Of London, as it
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 n lasting In
dex by which to judge the age Of gold
and silver. but we have n 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
PEASANT was added. These marks We're
punched into the metal with a die. the
animal appearing ia n shield or oblong
field.
Until 1880 small crown appeared
over the lion; from 1857 to 1850 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
ful In determining the age OF Il piece
or silver when the date mark is indis-
tinct. The date letter or year mark
system seems TO have been definitely
settled about 1918. for. although there
was an alphabetical system more than
fifty years before. 1t is customary 20
go back 10 1918 rs an accurate starting
point
Charles II. raised the standard of the
metal. and in 1895 the new quality was
given new mark. Britannia sitting in
an oblong puncheon. with lions
head erased The standard was found
/ 10 be too soft for practical PURPOSES.
/ however. and in 1920 there was 4 re-
| turn 20 the old and present standard
OF metal. with the leopard's head and
/ the lion PEASANT. Naturally these Bri-
tannia pieces are rare.
Makers began To use their private
marks about 1868. vt first they used
the first two letters of the surname
About 1879 the initials were substitute
ed For example, prior to this date
Tau! Lamerie's mark was La. After
ward it became L. l..
Thus were four marks on the silver
up 10 11S+-leOpard's head, lion. date
letter and makers mark. In 1874 the
sovereign's head was added-the GOV
ornamental customs matchmaking fv,
punches in all. There were change.
trom time 10 time In the fixed hal
marks which are worth noting. Flo,
example, the leopard's head was set I,
4 puncheon following its outlines unit,
4o'S' when 1t began to appear N ,
symmetrical shield OF five sides.
In 1896 the head was reduced some
what In size. In 1920 the leopard los
his beard and his shield became Oh,
long. and in 1923 his crown was take-
away from him. These were all Lon
! don marks. There we're in addition
( provincial marks. The Edinburgh In
marx dates from 1877. II was 4 tripl
turreted castle or tower The stand
ard mark was n thistle. which wa
| substituted Tor the assay masters ini
laIS ID 1to1. The date letter cycle
! began in Edinburgh IN 1851
Glasgow had curious emblem
tree with bird in the top. ! bell hang
| Ing from one branch and n fish acros
the trunk, stamped in an oval punch
con- The Sheffield and BIRMINGHAM
nan marks were crown and an On
chor respectively, with the lion paSsan
as the standard mark. Dublin had ;
crowned harp.
Now TO 90 back 10 the subject o
date marks, l cannot DO more tina,
barely indicate what there is in ID,
subject for those who wish to so int,
II seriously. Different cities or hall
had different year marks. 1 Will dea
only with the London marks. rs bein.
by far the most important
! Zach year had assigned 10 il 4 let
ter OF the alphabet. which was STAMP
ed on every piece of silver made o
sold In London that year When tn,
alphabet was used UP they went baC'
10 y again, taking usually 4 sligAtly
different form Of letter. These alpha
bets stopped 1T the letter l. go thu
each Of these cycles is an even twenty
| years in length.
! One way Of counterfeiting old silveI
Is to make = perfect copy OF an olt
| piece IN some alloy and give il 4 thicl
coating Of silver by the modern elec
| troplate process. Such cOunterfeits ar,
treated Skillfully, hall marks and al
being reproduced.
On the bottom or inside Of the piec,
may sometimes be found the granulat
ed or cryStallized surfaces left by thi,
process, though these are usually fooled
over If fl sight. Sometimes English
hall marks have been cut from spoon
or other small article of great age and
transferred 70 Il larger piece Of more
modern make.-Country Life In Amer
'c0