Newcastle is cited in the Acts of 1423 and 1462 as one of the cities appointed to assay silver. By the Act relating to the Higher Standard, and making it illegal to assay silver elsewhere than London, there is a hiatus after 1696. But the provincial assay offices did not long remain compulsorily idle. They petitioned the House of Commons, and obtained redress. In 1702, 1 Anne, _cap._ 3 was specially applicable to Newcastle-on-Tyne, and this Act reappointed the town for assaying silver, and it is there on record that “there is, and time out of mind hath been, an ancient Company of Goldsmiths, which, with their families, by the said penalty are like to be ruined, and the trade utterly lost in the said town.” The ~Newcastle~ date letters are as follows:[8]-- 1702 to 1720, ~A~ to ~Q~. In circular shields. Except ~A~, which is in a square shield. Letters used in no order. 1721 to 1739, ~a~ to ~T~. Old English capitals, except ~a~ and ~T~. Circular shields, except ~R~ and ~T~. 1740 to 1758, ~A~ to ~T~. Roman capitals in shield with pointed base. 1759 to 1790, ~A~ to ~Z~. Italic capitals ditto ditto 1791 to 1814, ~A~ to ~Z~. Roman capitals. Shield hexagonal in shape. 1815 to 1838, ~A~ to ~Z~. Block capitals. Square-shaped shield with top corners cut off. 1839 to 1863, ~A~ to ~Z~. Roman capitals. Hexagonal shield. 1864 to 1883, ~a~ to ~u~. Small Roman type. Oval shield. Office closed in 1884. The complete Newcastle marks are the Lion passant, the Leopard’s Head, the Town or Hall Mark of Three Castles, the Date Letter, the Maker’s Mark, and the Duty Mark of the Sovereign’s Head (till 1890). Birmingham and Sheffield were both granted the rights to assay silver in 1773 by 13 Geo. III, _cap._ 52. The Birmingham marks are an Anchor, a Lion passant, a Date Letter, and the Maker’s Mark, and the Duty Mark till it was abolished in 1890. The date alphabets for ~Birmingham~[1] are:-- 1773 to 1798, ~A~ to ~Z~. Roman capitals. 1798 to 1824, ~a~ to ~z~. Small Roman. 1824 to 1849, ~A~ to ~Z~. Old English capitals. 1849 to 1875, ~A~ to ~Z~. Roman capitals. 1875 to 1900, ~a~ to ~z~. Old English small. 1900 to 1924, ~a~ to ~z~. Small Roman. The Office Year begins 1st July and ends 30th June. The ~Sheffield~[9] marks are the Lion passant, a Crown, the Date Letter, the Maker’s Mark, and the Sovereign’s Head as the Duty Mark till abolished in 1890. From 1773 to 1823 the date letters were taken at random. From 1824 to the present day they run in regular order from A to Z. On small pieces of silver the crown and date letter are on one punch. The alphabets for Sheffield are:--