Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1907-03-30
ENGLISH HALL MARKS
The True Ones Are the Leopard
and the Lion,
LEGACY OF THE MIDDLE AGES
TPs System Invented by the Gold
smiths Company of London Is :
Lasting index to tho Age and Gep.
uineness Of Old Silver Articles.


ulnsness Of Old Silver Articles.
Every mark on your old silver means
something, and If you care to be SURG
about Its age or maker 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 silyersmiths and their pri-
vate marks.
In 1887 King Edward III. granted
charter to the Goldsmiths' guild. Dur
ing the reign of Edward Nv. the Gold
smiths' Company Of London, as it
came to be known, invented and put
into practice an alphabetical system OF
parks 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 tp 1546 Q Hon
PEASANT was added. These marks were
punched into the metal with a die, the
animal appearing in a shield or oblong
field
Until 1850 a 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
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 alphabetical system more than
fifty years before, 1t is customary to
go back to 1918 as an accurate starting
point.
Charles II. raised the standard of the
metal, and IN 1896 the new quality was
given a new mark, Britannia sitting In
an oblonR 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 PEASANT. Naturally these Bri-
tannia pieces are rare.
Makers began to use their private
o,-lyc hor Arof
. the first two letters of the surname
About 1739 the initials were substitute
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 1874 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
a puncheon following its outlines until
1878, when it began to appear In q
symmetrical shield of FIVE sides.
= In 1906 the head was reduced some
: what in size. In 1720 the leopard lost
!. his beard and hts shield became OBJ
= 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 hal
), mark dates from 1857. 1t was a triple
turreted castle or tower. The stand
! ard mark was a thistle, which was
= substituted for the assay masters mi
;, tails in 1857. The date letter cycles
. began In Edinburgh In 1881.
: Glasgow had a curious emblem-s
:, tree with bird in the top, bell hang
:. ing from one branch and a fish acros,
:, the trunk, stamped in an oval punch
= con. The Sheffield and Birmingham
hall marks were a crown and an an
Choir respectively, with the lion passan
as the standard mark. Dublin had
crowned harp.
Now, to go back to the subject o
re date marks, cannot do more thai
E. barely indicate what there is In tn
r subject for those who wish to go int
c. it seriously. Different cities or hall
1t had different year marks. 1 will dec
v only with the London marks, as bein,
by far the most important
Each year had assigned to 1t lei
ter of the alphabet, which was stamI
s. ed on every piece of silver made 0
s. sold in London that year. When tn
re alphabet was used up they went bac
" to A again, taking usually a slight
different form of letter. These alpha