Hall marks on gold & silver plate

8o HALL MARKS ON PLATE.
" II. Nor that they /ell no fine Silver, nor other Silver allayed,
molten into Ma/s, to any Per/on or Per/ons what/oever they be, nor
one Gold/mith to another. (2) This Ordinance to be kept by the
Gold/miths in every Point, upon Pain of Forfeiture of the /ame
Silver, or the Value thereof; the King thereof to have the one Half,
and the Finder that can prove it, and will /ue for it in the King's
Exchequer, the other Half.
"
III. Al/o it is ordained by the /ame Authority, That all
Letters Patents and Grants of Offices belonging or pertaining to the
Mint of our Sovereign Lord the King, or exercised in the /ame, with
Fees and Wages thereto belonging, be from henceforth void and of
none effect."* Repealed.
As this Act makes no mention of any country Assay Offices, it
is probable that all or most of them were then discontinued.
GOLSMITHS' CHARTER.
A.D. 1504. Another Charter granted to the Goldsmiths' Company
of London, bearing date 3rd February, 20 Henry VII, mentions
"that divers persons in divers parts of this Kingdom do work
and expose to sale gold and silver wrought worse than standard,
and neither fear nor doubt to be punished; as due search, or due
is seldom executed out of London. And that the
punishment,
common standard, or assize of gold and silver (according to the
ordinances in that behalf made), is kept in Goldsmiths' <strong>Hall</strong>, in
London; and that all works and wares in gold and silver there tried
and assayed, and affirmed for good, shall be stamped with their
<strong>marks</strong>, which they use for that purpose; and all defective works
utterly condemned."
In 1547, the Court of the Goldsmiths' Company passed resolu-
tions, in accordance with the King's injunctions, for breaking up
the image of St. Dunstan. These were shortly afterwards carried
out, and the weight of the image, and of St. Dunstan's standing
cup, with the nimiber of the stones set therein, are entered in the
proceedings.
At this time the year began at the Feast of the Holy and
Blessed Trinity [Sunday after Whit Sunday] instead of at the Feast
of St. Dunstan [May 19] as formerly.
Four years later an almswoman was committed to ward for
setting an Apostle on a spoon.
Soon after Queen Mary commenced her reign, the old style of
St. Dunstan was restored.!
* " The Statutes at Large," Vof. II, page 73.
t Memorials of tlie Goldsmitlis' Company.