Hall marks on gold & silver plate

100 HALL MARKS ON PLATE.
By the same it was enacted, that from and after July 24, 1785,
the person appointed to receive the duties payable for marking of
plate may make an allowance of one-sixth part of the duty for all
plate brought in an unfinished state, instead of one-fifth, as directed
by the previous Act (24 George III). By the same Act the exporters
of gold and silver watches shall mark or engrave in the inside
of every case or box of each watch enclosing the works thereof,
the same numbers and figures which shall be respectively marked or
engraved on the works of the watch.* REPEALED.
This appears to have been the law until 1871, when the provision
was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act of that year.
DUTY INCREASED.
A.D. 1797. 37 George III, c. 90. By this Act the duty on gold
was placed at eight shillings per ounce, and silver at one shilling.
Repealed.
DUTY ON WATCH CASES REPEALED.
A.D. 1798. 38 George III, c. 24. Repealed.
A.D. 1798. 38 George III, c. 69. This Act recites that, "Whereas
it would be for the Advantage of the Manufacturers of Gold in
this Kingdom, that Gold of an inferior Standard to what is now
allowed by Law /hould be permitted to be u/ed for the /ame." And
enacts that after October i, 1798, it should be lawful for a goldsmith
to make or work any gold vessel or plate of the standard of
eighteen carats of fine gold in every pound weight troy.
Sect. 2. Enacts that after October i, 1798, no person should
sell or export any gold vessel or plate of such standard until it had
been marked with the new mark of a crown and the figures 18, instead
of the lion passant, under a penalty of ten pounds.
Sect. 3. Enacts that it should be lawful for the respective companies
of goldsmiths in London, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Sheffield,
and the wardens and assayers of gold at York, Exeter, Bristol,
Chester, Norwich and Nev/castle-upon-Tyne to touch and assay such
gold plate and mark it as before mentioned.
Sect. 4. Provided that gold vessels and plate of twenty-two
carats might still be made.
Sect. 5. That this Act did not authorise the assaying with the
mark previously used of gold vessels or plate of a lower standard
than twenty-two carats.
Sect. 6. Imposed a penalty of fifty pounds for each offence
against
this Act.
Sect. 7. This provides that any person counterfeiting any such
<strong>marks</strong> to be guilty of felony and liable to transportation for seven
years.
" The Statutes at Large," VoL XIV, page 698.