Hall marks on gold & silver plate

9S
HALL MARKS ON PLATE.
two ounces or upwards, or in silver plate of thirty ounces or upwards*
Repealed.
BIRMINGHAM AND SHEFFIELD.
A.D. 1773. 13 George III, c. 52. This Act was passed for the
incorporation of certain noblemen, gentlemen and workers as companies
in Birmingham and Sheffield; to be known by the name of
"The Guardians of the Standard of Wrought Plate." The Companies
were authorised to appoint wardens and assay masters for
assaying and stamping wrought silver plate, in the towns of Sheffield
and Birmingham. Silver goods "/hall be marked as followeth;
that is to /ay, with the Mark of the Worker or Maker thereof,
which /hall be the Fir/t Letters of his Christian and Surname; and
al/o with the Lion Pa//ant, and with the Mark of the Company
within whose A//ay Office /uch Plate shall be a//ayed and marked,
to denote the Goodne// thereof, and the Place where the /ame was
a//ayed and marked; and al/o with a di/tinct variable Mark or
Letter, which Letter or Mark /hall be annually changed upon the
Election of new Wardens for each Company, to denote the Year in
which such Plate is marked."
"
Sect. 5. And be it further enacted by the Authority afore/aid.
That the peculiar Marks of the /aid Companies, directed to be u/ed
as afore/aid, /hall be as follows ; that is to /ay. For the Birmingham
Company, an Anchor; and for the Sheffield Company, a Crown."t
Repealed as to Birmingham, and amended as to Sheffield.
DUTY. MARK OF THE KING'S HEAD.
A.D. 1784. 24 George III, Sess. 2, c. 53. From December i,
1784, the following duties upon gold and silver plate are to be paid
to his Majesty :
Sect. I. For gold plate imported into or made in Great Britain,
an additional duty of eight shillings per ounce troy, over and above
all other duties already imposed thereon.
For silver plate imported into or made in Great Britain, an
additional duty of sixpence per ounce.
Sect. 4. From December i, 1784, all goldsmiths and manufacturers
shall send to the Assay Offices of the Goldsmiths' Companies
in London or Edinburgh, or to the Birmingham and Sheffield Com-
panies, or to the Wardens and Assayers of York, Exeter, Bristol,
Chester, Norwich and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with every parcel of
gold or silver, a note or memorandum, fairly written, containing the
day of the month and year, the christian and surname of the worker
or maker, and place of abode, and the species, number and weight,
etc., of each parcel, and the sum payable for duty upon the total
weight.
"The Statutes at Large," Vol. VIII, page 359.
t Idem, Vol. XI, page 781.