Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 9.djvu/321

 ON THE ASSAY MARKS ON UOLD AI^D SII.VKi; I'LATE. ;i45 greatly assists in fixing the date of an article ; in atlilition to which, it also serves now to distinguish English fioin Scotch or Irish plate, and this may by possibility, have been its original intention, although I have no ground for hazard- ing such a conjecture. lion's HEAD ERASED AND FIGURE OF BRITANNIA. Of these two marks there is little to be said. They were ordered by the Statute in 1696, which raised the standard for silver plate from 11 oz. 2 dwts. to 11 oz. 10 dwts., to distinguish the plate so made from that which had previously been made of the lower standard, and they were substituted for the Leopard's head and Lion jiassant. They continued in use till 1719, when the old standard was restored. All plate made of that silver was so marked, and it is possible that some articles may have been so made and marked after that date. THE sovereign's HEAD. Of this mark there is still less to be said. It consists of the head of the reigning sovereign in profile, as on the coins, and is of course changed at the beginning of every reign. Hereafter, therefore, there will be no doubt as to the period when any piece of plate was made. It was first ordered by statute in 1784, when the additional duty was put on plate. There is, however, one other mark occasionally found on ancient plate, which seems to bear some relation to our English marks, or rather to partake of both French and English ; this is the Leopard's head crowned and Fleur de hs dimidiated and joined together on one shield. This seems to be a mixture of the English and French marks, for the Fleur de lis was the ancient mark or touch of Paris. In the Statute 4th Henry VII., cap. 2., 1488, it was enacted for the amendment of money and plate, that the finers should only sell their gold and silver to the masters of the King's mint at London, Calice, and certain other places. Calais was taken by Edward III. in 1347, and remained in possession of the Enghsh till 1558. As it was under the crown, and part of the realm of England for so long a time, and as the King had a mint there, I venture to hazard an opinion that there might also have been goldsmiths there subjects of the King of England, and that this stamp, VOL. IX. K K