Hall marks on gold & silver plate

94
HALL MARKS ON PLATE.
Plate shall be made; or with the Mark of the Worker or Maker, and
with the Marks appointed to be u/ed by the A//ayers at York, Exeter,
Brifiol, Chefter, Norwich, or Newcaftle upon Tyne; or Plate
(being of the Standard of eleven Ounces Ten pennyweights of hne
Silver per Pound Weight Troy)
with the Mark of the Worker or
Maker thereof, which shall be the fir/t Letters of his Chri/tian and
Surname as afore/aid, and with the/se Marks of the /aid Company,
viz., the Lion's head era/ed, the Figure of a Woman, commonly
called Britannia, and the /aid Mark or Letter to denote the Year as
afore/aid; or with the Mark of the Worker or Maker, and the Marks
of one of the /aid Cities or Towns ; upon Pain that every such Gold-
/mith, Silver/mith, or other Person, for every such Offence /hall forfeit
and pay the Sum of ten Pounds, to be recovered and di/posed
of as herein after is mentioned; and for Default of Payment /hall
be committed by the Court in which Judgment /hall be given
thereon, to the House of Correction for the County, City, or Liberty,
where convicted, there to remain and be kept to hard Labour for
any Time not exceeding the Space of six Months, or until Payment
be made of the /aid Forfeiture."
Sect. 6. This section exempts rings, buttons, and many other
small articles from the operation of this Act.
Sect. 7. Recites and repeals the clause in 12 William HI, c. 4
which provides that any person counterfeiting the stamps shall be
liable to a penalty of ;^500.
Sect. 8. Imposes a penalty of 100 on any person 'who shall
forge the <strong>marks</strong> of the said Company of Goldsmiths of London, or
the <strong>marks</strong> appointed for York, Exeter, Bristol, Chester, Norwich, or
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, or sell any gold or silver wares having such
forged <strong>marks</strong> impressed thereon.
Sect. 9. Recites the clause in 6 George I, c. 1 1, imposing duty
on wrought plate, and provides that goldsmiths and silversmiths
should send a note with any wares sent for assay to the Wardens of
the Company assaying the same, who were to transmit such notes
to the Commissioners of Excise.
Sect. 10. Provides that there shall be no drawback of duty on
the exportation of silver plate above seven years old.
Sect. II of this Act states the great frauds in the trade, and
particularly in using too much solder, and entrusts the wardens, etc.,
with determining what solder is necessary, and whether wrought
plate is forward enough in workmanship, and has all the pieces
affixed together or not.
Sect. 12. Contains provisions as to appeals.
Sects. 13, 14, 15 and 16 enumerates the prices to be paid for
assaying wrought plate.
Sects. 17 and 18. Provides penalties for not paying assay
charges.
Sect. 19. States how surplus of fees paid over expenses of
assay should be disposed of.