Caster, Dublin (George Lyng), 1699 331 Loving-cup, with harp handles, Cork, 1694 331 Centre-piece, Dublin, 1740 335 Cream-jug, signed by Jonathan Buck, Cork, 1764 339 Cream-jug, Dublin, 1740 339 Cream-pail, Dublin, 1770 343 APPENDIX TO CHAPTER I Alphabets of Date Letters used at London Assay Office 347-355 Table showing variations in Hall and Standard Marks 357 Series of Examples of London Assay Marks 359-385 Series of Examples of Provincial Assay Marks 387-399 Series of Examples of Scottish and Irish Assay Marks 401-409 I THE MARKS STAMPED UPON SILVER I. THE HALL-MARK II. THE STANDARD MARK III. THE DATE MARK IV. THE MAKER’S MARK V. THE HIGHER STANDARD MARK VI. THE DUTY MARK VII. THE FOREIGN MARK APPENDIX TO CHAPTER (pp. 347-409) Illustrations of typical Marks CHAPTER I THE MARKS STAMPED UPON SILVER I. =The Hall-mark.= Its significance--The hall-mark compulsory by law--Various hall-marks.--II. =The Standard Mark.= The silver standards--The Lion _passant_ (England), the Thistle (Scotland), and the Harp (Ireland).--III. =The Date Mark.= The alphabets used by the various assay offices.--IV. =The Maker’s Mark.= Initials of surname--Later usage, determined by law, initials of Christian and surnames.--V. =The Higher Standard Mark.= The lion’s head erased and the figure of Britannia (compulsory from 1697 to 1720, optional afterwards).--VI. =The Duty Mark.= The reigning sovereign’s head from George III to Victoria (1784 to 1890).--VII. =The Foreign Mark.= Foreign silver plate assayed in the United Kingdom to bear an additional mark. I. THE HALL-MARK This is the mark stamped upon gold or silver plate by a recognized guild, and signifies that the object so stamped has successfully passed the assay applied to it to determine its quality. British hall-marks possess a reputation which they undoubtedly deserve. “In this country the system has existed substantially in its present form since the reign of Edward I.”[1] In this reign, under statutory authority, it was laid down that all silver made in England was to be as good as the silver coin or better, and provincial silversmiths (one from each centre) were to proceed to London to have their work assayed and have the mark of the leopard’s head stamped upon it. For six centuries the hall-mark of the wardens of the “Mistery of Goldsmiths” of the city of London has stood as a guarantee of value, and is intended to afford sufficient protection to the purchaser.