Hall marks on gold & silver plate

SHEFFIELD. 315
random, until 1824, after which the letters follow in their proper
order.
The first letter used, on opening the Office in 1773, was an Old
Text capital letter E, followed by F, then N, and other letters
irregularly until 1799; when another cycle, commencing with the
Roman capital E, followed by N, and other letters irregularly, until
1824, when the third cycle commenced with the letter a, and continued
regularly through the alphabet, a practice which has always
since been followed.
There is no record explaining this curious sequence of letters in
the first two cycles. Mr. Arnold T. Watson, however, conjectures
that, as the Earls of Effingham took a very deep and active interest
in the business of the Sheffield Office during the early years of its
existence, the letter E was adopted as a compliment to this family
in the first and second cycle, especially as an Earl of Effingham
occupied the chair on each occasion.
The Effingham interest in the Office ceased after the death of
Richard Howard, Earl of Effingham, on December 11, 18 16, and the
irregular lettering ceased very
soon after this time.
The <strong>marks</strong> used at this office are the same as at London, except
that the crown is substituted for the leopard's head, and variation
of the date-mark. Sometimes we find the crown and date letter
combined in one stamp, probably on small pieces of plate, but they
are generally separate on square punches. When practicable, the
four <strong>marks</strong> are placed in order and struck from one punch, but they
are struck separately when that cannot be done. The <strong>marks</strong> are so
combined for the convenience of the wardens in marking the goods,
but the letter only is used to denote the year in which the article was
made.
The date letters are invariably placed in square escutcheons.
The form of the lion and crown now used is :
The Sheffield assay mark under the Order in Council of 1904
for foreign plate for gold was :
And for silver
(Crossed arrows.)