Jan. 22. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



n 



called the old standard. In 1798 an act was 

 passed allowino; gold articles to be made of a lower 

 or worse standard, viz., of 18 carats of fine gold 

 out of 24 ; such articles were to be stamped with 

 a crown and the figures 18, instead of the lion 

 passant. 



The standard of silver has always (with the 

 exception of about twenty years) been 11 oz. 

 2 dwts., and 18 dwts. alloy, in the pound: this 

 was termed sterling, but very much debased from 

 the latter end of Henry VIII. to the beginning of 

 Elizabeth's reign. In the reign of William III., 

 1697, an act was passed to alter the standard of 

 silver to 10 oz. 10 dwts., and 10 dwts. alloy : and 

 instead of the usual marks of the lion and leopard's 

 head, the stamps of this better quality of silver 

 were the figure of a lion's head erased, and the 

 figure of Britannia : and the variable letter denot- 

 ing the date as before. This act continued in 

 operation for twenty-two years, being repealed in 

 1719, when the standard was again restored. 



A duty of sixpence per ounce was imposed upon 

 plate in 1719, which was taken ofi" again in 1757 ; 

 m lieu of which, a licence or duty of forty shillings 

 was paid by every vendor of gold or silver. In 

 1784, a duty of sixpence per ounce was again 

 imposed, and the licence still continued : which in 

 1797 was increased to one shilling, and in 1815 to 

 eighteenpence — at which it still remains. The 

 payment of this duty is indicated by the stamp of 

 the sovereign's head. 



All gold plate, with the exception of watch- 

 cases, pays a duty of seventeen shillings per ounce ; 

 and silver plate one shilling and sixpence; watch- 

 cases, chains, and a few other articles being 

 exempted. 



The letters used as dates in the foregoing list 

 (it must be remembered) are only those of the 

 Goldsmiths' Hall in London, as denoted by the 

 leopaid's head crowned. Other Halls, at York, 

 Newcastle, Lincoln, Norwich, Bristol, Salisbury, 

 and Coventry, had also marks of their own to 

 show the year ; and have stamped gold and silver 

 since the year 1423, perhaps earlier. Edinburgh, 

 Glasgow, and Dublin have had the same privilege 

 from a very early period : and, more recently, 

 Chester, Birmingham, and Sheffield. Thus it will 

 be seen that four marks or punches are used on 

 gold and silver plate, independent of the makers' 

 initials or symbol, viz. : 



The Standard Mark — For gold of the old 

 standard of 22 carats, and silver of 11 oz. 2 dwts. : 



A lion passant for England. 

 A thistle for Edinburjrh. 

 A lion rampant for Glasgow. 

 A harp crowned for Ireland. 



For gold of 18 carats : 



A crown, and the figures 18. 



For silver of 11 oz. 10 dwts. : ( 



A lion's head erased, and Britannia. 



The Hall Marh. — 

 A leopard's head crowned for London. 

 A castle for Edinburgh. 

 Hibernia for Dublin. 

 Five lions and a cross for York. 

 A castle for Exeter. 



Three wheatsheaves and a dagger for Chester. 

 Three castles for Newcastle. 

 An anchor for Birmingham. 

 A crown for Sheffield. 

 A tree and fish for Glasgow. 



The Duty Marh — The head of the sovereign, 

 to indicate that the duty has been paid : this mark 

 is not placed on watch-cases, &c. 



The Date Mark, or variable letter, denoting 

 the year as fixed by each Hall. 



W. Chaffers, Jun. 



Old Bond Street. 



The table inquired for by Me. Livett, with a 

 most interesting historical paper on the subject, 

 was published in the last Archceological Journal, 

 October, 1852. H. T. Ellacombe. 



EDITIONS OF THE PBAYEB-BOOK PRIOB TO 1662. 



(Vol. vi., pp. 435. 564. ; Vol. vii., p. 18.) 



Since the publication of the professedly im- 

 perfect list of various editions of the Prayer-Book, 

 at page 564. of your last volume, which list was 

 compiled chiefly from liturgical works in my own 

 possession, I have had occasion to consult the 

 Catalogue of the British Museum, from which I 

 have gleaned materials for a more full and correct 

 enumeration. All the editions in the following 

 list are in the library of the British Museum ; and 

 in order to increase its value and utility, I have 

 appended to each article the press-mark by which 

 it is now designated. In some of these press- 

 marks a numeral is subscript, thus : 



C. 25. h. 7. 

 1 

 In order to save space I have represented this in 

 the following list thus, (C.25. h. 7.) 1., putting the 

 subscript numeral outside the parenthesis. 

 1552. (?) 4to. B. L. N. Hyll for A. Veale.(3406. c.) '' 

 1573. (?) fol. R. Jugge. (C. 24. m. 5.) 1. 

 1580. (?) 8vo. Portion of Prayer-Book. (3406. a.) 

 1584. 4to. Portion of Prayer-Book. (1274. b. 9.) 



1595. fol. Deputies of Ch. Barker. (C. 25. ra. 5.) 2. 



1596. 4to. (C. 25. h. 7.) I. ' 

 1598. fol. (C. 25.1.10.) 1. 



1603. (?) 4to. Imperfect. (1275. b, 11.) i. 



1611. 4to. (1276. e. 4.) 1. 



1612. 8vo. (3406. a.) 



1613. 4to. (3406. c.) 



