Hall marks on gold & silver plate

xxvi
INTRODUCTION.
The earliest Court minutes of the Goldsmiths' Company are
dated in 1334.
In 1336 the ordinances of the Company speak of three <strong>marks</strong>,
"
the owner's and sayer's <strong>marks</strong> and the Liberdshede crowned " the
;
first mark being the maker's, the second the assayer's, and the third
that of the Goldsmiths' <strong>Hall</strong>, the crown being for the first time
iTientioned.
Another statute in 1363 provided that every master goldsmith
should have a mark for himself, which he was to set on his work,
after it had been assayed and the surveyor had set on it the King's
mark.* This is the first time the maker's mark is mentioned in any
statute.
In 1379 it was more specifically enacted that every goldsmith
should have his own proper mark upon his work, and also that
Mayors of cities and boroughs should assay the work and that the
;
same should bear the mark of the city or borough where it was assayed,
and, after the assay, that the work should be stamped with
another mark to be appointed by the King.t
In 1392 the Goldsmiths' Company received their second charter,
giving them license to be a community, and to choose out of their
own number four wardens to govern the community.+
At the commencement of the fifteenth century the Goldsm-ths*
assembled in their <strong>Hall</strong> in Foster's Lane.
Company
In 1403, in consequent of fraudulent artificers having daily
made articles of copper and latten, gilt and silvered, it was enacted
that no artificer should gild or silver any article made of copper or
latten; but ornaments made for the church might be gilt or silvered,
provided a piece of the foot were left plain, though chalices were
always to be of pure metal.
In 1407 the second Goldsmiths' <strong>Hall</strong> was probably built by Sir
Drugo Barentyn, and endowed by him with fair lands. He was
a goldsmith, and twice Mayor of London.
In 1414, in consequence of the goldsmiths refusing to sell gilt
wares for less than double the price of the weight of silver in the
same, an Act was passed fixing the price of silver gilt of the English
sterling, at 46s. 8d. for a poimd troy.li
As the two last-mentioned Acts were not sufficient to prevent
frauds, another Act was passed to forbid the gilding of any metal
except silver, the only things excepted being church ornaments and
knights' spurs.
In 1423 it was ordained that the gold or silver smiths sell no
worked silver in the city of London, unless it be of the fineness of
silver; and that no harness of silver be sold before it be touched with
the touch of the leopard's head, if it may reasonably bear the same,
and also be marked with the workman's mark. The cities of York,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Lincoln, Norwich, Bristol, Salisbury and
* 37th Edward III, cap. 7. f 2nd Richard II.
I 16th Richard II. || 2nd Henry V, Stat. 2, can. 4.
8th Henry V, cap. 3.