The three crossed arrows mark is interesting. It is claimed to have been used by Messrs. Fenton, Creswick & Co., Sheffield. The mark illustrated with four crossed arrows is that of T. & J. Creswick (1811). With it is given another crossed arrow mark of two crossed arrows adopted by the Sheffield Assay Office to stamp on Foreign silver assayed at that office in 1904; before that only the letter =F= in an oval was used, but by 4 Edward VII, Cap. 6 all Assay Offices had to adopt a new style, and Sheffield selected the crossed arrows. In 1906 the mark was changed to the one illustrated, which is still used on foreign silver sent to Sheffield for assay and sale in this country. [Illustration: MARK OF ROBERTS, CADMAN & CO., SHEFFIELD (1784). The firm became Roberts, Smith & Co., then Smith, Sissons & Co., and is now Messrs. W. & G. Sissons, who still use the mark. (See illustrations from R. C. & Co.'s Pattern Books, pp. 75, 183.)] [Illustration: MARKS OF ROBERTS, CADMAN & CO. Found on Candlesticks with silver edges. In 1824 Roberts of Sheffield took out a patent for a new method of applying silver edges to snuffer trays, cream jugs, sauce boats, &c. These are found stamped SILVER:EDGD.] [Illustration: MARK OF THOMAS & JAMES CRESWICK, SHEFFIELD (1811). MARKS ON FOREIGN SILVER PLATE ASSAYED AT SHEFFIELD. (1904.) (1906.)] [Illustration: JOHN PARSONS & CO. USED THE MARK OF THE CROSSED KEYS FROM 1784. (See Illustrations from Pattern Books, pp. 141, 145, 151, 179, 191.) The Mark as above is that of H. Wilkinson & Co., their successors.] Many fine examples of old Sheffield plate are unmarked. Where marks are found it is not always possible, except by inference, to determine at what particular date the makers stamped such marks, that is at what date the specimen was made. Obviously the style of decoration indicates approximately the period, as the Sheffield platers set out to offer ware as fashionable as silver. This is determinable by comparison with similar examples made by the silversmiths. But whereas silver plate was accurately dated when it bore the stamp of the annual date letter, wherever made, Sheffield plated ware cannot offer this exactitude. Marks when found are useful as indicating the initials of old firms who have manufactured plate from the earliest period and are still in business. But many of the marks were used over a long period and only by comparison with silver prototypes can dates be arrived at.