Hall marks on gold & silver plate

INTRODUCTION. xxxi
was restored in 1885, a pewter paten and chalice of an early type
were found.*
The first type of chalice, which dates from 1200 to 1250, always
has a circular foot. The oldest now remaining is quite plain, with a
broad and shallow bowl, having a slight lip, a short stem with knop,
and plain foot. Only three examples of this date remain; two of
these are coffin chalices, and the third was, until recently, used at
Berwick, St. James's, Wilts, and is now in the British Museum. The
patens of the same date have two depressions, the first circular, the
second quatrefoil, with a central device, the Manns Dei often being
used.
The next type of chalice has the stem and knop wrought separately
from the rest of the vessel, and either stem or knop, or both,
lobed or polygonal. The patens belonging to this type have the
lower depression, or single depression, octofoil or multiple, and
some device in the centre. In York Minster there is a good chalice
and paten of this period, which were found in the grave of an
archbishop.
The third type of chalice, which was made at the end of the
thirteenth century, is similar to the last, except that the foot is ornamented.
At Dolgelly, a silver gilt chalice and paten were recently
discovered. They are large and massive. The chalice has a wide
and shallow bowl, with a slight lip the ; knop is circular, and
divided into twelve lobes by ribs ; the stem is ornamented with ver-
tical leaves ; the foot is broad and circular, with twelve lobes ending
in trefoils; between and below these are larger trefoils, beautifully
engraved with early English foliage; and between these again is
similar foliage. The paten is sunk in two depressions, the first circular,
the second sexfoil, with symbols of the evangelists in the
spandrils, and the seated figure of Our Lord in the centre. Both
chalice and paten were made by Nicholas of Hereford about i28o.t
During the next half-century, the pattern changed but little,
except that the bowl of the chalice became deeper and more conical.
Only one chalice of this period is known, which was found in the
grave of William de Melton, Archbishop of York.
About the middle of the fourteenth century, chalices with sixpointed
feet were first made. The reason for abandoning the round
foot, was that the custom of laying down the chalice to drain was
introduced, and the polygonal foot prevented the vessel from
rolling. The earliest chalice of this fashion is that at Hamstal
Ridware, Co. Stafford. This is of silver, parcel gilt, the bowl conical,
the stem short and thick, the knop formed of curved lobes, and
the foot having six points. Its paten is also silver, parcel gilt, sunk
in circle, and again in sexfoil, with plain cusps, and the Mamis Dei
in the centre.
The next example was probably made about a hundred years
later. It is silver, parcel gilt, the bowl quite plain and conical, the
p. 195.
* Marldiam's "Church Plate of the County of Northampton," 1894,
t " Archjeologia," Vol. LIII, p. 575.