Hall marks on gold & silver plate

^Pro&iutml Hssau fRcts.
The seven towns appointed by the Act 2 Henry VI (1423) were
York, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Norwich, Lincoln, Bristol, Coventry
and Salisbury, where mints had already been established, and most
of them had guilds or fraternities previously existing. The town
<strong>marks</strong> of the first three have been identified, but as nothing is known
of the " touches " or town <strong>marks</strong> of any of the remaining four, they
probably did not avail themselves of the privilege of assaying and
marking plate, or if they did, few or no traces have been discovered
of their doings or the <strong>marks</strong> they adopted.
By the Act 12 & 13 William III (i/Oo), York, Bristol and Norwich,
and in 170 1-2 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, were reappointed, with
the addition of Exeter and Chester, in which two last-named towns
mints had then lately been appointed for coining the silver monies
of the kingdom Coventry, Salisbury and Lincoln having then evidently
ceased working. Bristol and Norwich, if they ever did exercise
the privilege, must have ceased shortly after as we have no evidence
of their having assayed plate since 1700.
THE HALL MARKS OF ASSAY TOWNS.
1. London. A leopard's head crowned (the ordinances of the
Goldsmiths' Company of 1336, and subsequent Acts of Parliament).
Since 1823 the leopard's head not crowned.
2. York. Five lions on a cross (discontinued).
3. Exeter. A castle with three towers (discontinued).
4. Chester. Now the mark is a dagger between three wheat
sheaves, but before 1779 the shield of the city arms was three demilions
and a wheat sheaf on a shield, and a small quartering above
the sheaf.
^
5. Norwich. A castle and lion passant (discontinued).
6. Newcastle. Three castles (discontinued).
7. Sheffield. A crown.
8. Biraiingham. An anchor.
BARNSTABLE.
A maker, using the initials I. P., manufactured a little plate at
this town in the middle of the seventeenth century.