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Hall marks on gold & silver plate

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340<br />

HALL MARKS ON PLATE.<br />

GLASGOW.<br />

The arms of the city of Glasgow are: Argent,<br />

<strong>on</strong> a mount in<br />

base vert, mi oak tree proper, the stem at the base thereof surmounted<br />

by a salm<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> its back also proper, ivith a signet ring in its mouth<br />

or; <strong>on</strong> the top of the tree a redbreast, and in the sinister fess point<br />

an ancient hand-bell, both also proper. The crest is : The half-<br />

length figure of St. Kentigcrn affr<strong>on</strong>tee vested and mitred, Jtis right<br />

hand raised in the act of benedicti<strong>on</strong>, and in his left a crosier, all<br />

proper. The : supporters Two salm<strong>on</strong> proper, each holding in its<br />

mouth a signet ring proper. Motto, LET GLASGOW FLOURISH.<br />

The bearings of the western metropolis are to commemorate the<br />

well-known miracle of St. Kentigern (also called St. Mungo), the<br />

patr<strong>on</strong> saint of the city, with reference to the recovery in the fish's<br />

mouth of the lost ring of the frail Queen of Caidyow.<br />

An ancient seal attached to a deed of the sixteenth century bears<br />

a full-faced head of the saint, mitred, between an ancient square<br />

bell, fish and ring <strong>on</strong> the dexter, and a bird <strong>on</strong> a tree <strong>on</strong> the sinister<br />

side, inscribed "<br />

Sigillum comune de Glasgu." (Laing's Ancient<br />

Seals.)<br />

The ancient <str<strong>on</strong>g>marks</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>plate</strong> made at Glasgow previous to the<br />

Act of 1 8 19 were : i. The city arms, a tree with a hand-bell <strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong>e<br />

side, and sometimes a letter G <strong>on</strong> the other, a bird <strong>on</strong> the top branch,<br />

and a fish across the trunk, holding a ring in its mouth enclosed in a<br />

very small oval escutche<strong>on</strong>. 2. The maker's initials, frequently repeated<br />

; and A 3. date letter ; but it is at present useless to attempt to<br />

assign correct dates of manufacture before 18 19.<br />

The parliamentary inquiry of 1773 did not extend to Scotland,<br />

1 8 19).<br />

Glasgow was made an assa\- town by the 59 George III (May,<br />

The district comprised Glasgow and forty miles round, and<br />

it was directed that all <strong>plate</strong> made in the district should be assayed<br />

at that office. The peculiar mark of the com^pany is a tree growing<br />

cut of a mount, with a bell pendant <strong>on</strong> the sinister branch, and a bird<br />

<strong>on</strong> the top branch, across the trunk of the tree a salm<strong>on</strong> holding in its<br />

mouth a signet ring.<br />

The <str<strong>on</strong>g>marks</str<strong>on</strong>g> used <strong>on</strong> the <strong>silver</strong> <strong>plate</strong> stamped at Glasgow are<br />

since the Act of 1819 :<br />

is :<br />

I. The Standard, a li<strong>on</strong> rampant. The present form of which

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