Hall marks on gold & silver plate

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HALL MARKS ON PLATE.
FOREIGN PLATE ASSAYED AND MARKED.
A.D. 1842. 5 & 6 Victoria, c. 47, ss. 59, 60. The several Assay-
Offices in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland are
directed and empowered to assay and mark foreign manufactured
gold and silver plate; and also to assay and mark, at any of the
said Assay Offices, gold and silver plate manufactured in any part
of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
Previous to the passing of this Act, each of the Assay Offices
had power only to assay and mark gold and silver plate manufactured
within their own districts.
of
N.B.
plate,
The mark punch of the resident shopkeeper, or importer
is required to be registered, in respect of assaying and
marking foreign plate, or plate
manufactured out of the district
of the Assay Office that it is sent to be assayed at; but the maker's
<strong>marks</strong> are not required unless he is resident in the city or town or
district of the assay.
The variable letter of the year is the date-mark, and is impressed
on all manufactured gold and silver plate that is stamped
at the Assay Office in Dublin, in accordance with the practice of the
Goldsmiths' <strong>Hall</strong> in London; but the letter, and also the character
of the letter, used in Dublin in each year is not the same as is used
in London in each corresponding year.
REDUCED STANDARDS OF GOLD.
A.D. 1854. 17 & 18 Victoria. It was enacted that from and
after December 22, 1854, three lower standards for gold wares were
allowed in addition to the standards of 22, 20 and 18 karats, fixed
by the Act 23 & 24 Geo. Ill
(1784). The figures 15, 12 and 9, and
thousandths parts to be stamped denoting the true quality of the
same. The <strong>marks</strong> of the harp crowned and the sovereign's head
are omitted, although subject to the same duty as the higher
standards.
There are six legal standards for gold in Ireland and only
one for silver.
DRAWBACK.
A.D. 1866. .29 & 30 Victoria, c. 64. An Act to amend the laws
relating to the Inland Revenue. Section 15 provides for allowing
drawback on plate made in Great Britain exported from Ireland,
and on Irish plate exported from Great Britain.
GOLD AND SILVER PLATE DUTY.
The duties were first imposed in 1730 at 6d. per ounce both
on gold and silver. The rates were doubled in 1807 by the Act of