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II. 



THE POST- ASSAYING FOUND ON DATED PIECES OF PLATE IX 

 THE COLLECTION OF TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN. 



By LEV. J. P. MAHAFFY, D.D., C.V.O. 



Read Apkil 23. Published May 23, 1917. 



In the summer of 1916, our member, Mr. Dudley Westropp, a noted expert 

 in old silver plate and its history, undertook to catalogue and describe 

 the great collection still preserved in Trinity College. I say still, for the 

 records of the College testify that far more has been sold long ago than the 

 amount we now possess. The remaining collection is, however, very rich 

 in eighteenth-century Irish plate, not without some splendid examples of an 

 earlier time. Without this preliminary research of Mr. Westropp — to 

 which he brought the inestimable value of his deep knowledge and wide 

 experience — not one word of this paper would have been written. 



But, among other unexpected conclusions, his inquiry brought out the 

 fact that in many cases the inscription giving the donor's name, arms, and 

 the date of his gift, did not agree with the hall-marks stamped upon it. 

 Notably, the one hall-mark held to be decisive by experts is the Hibernia 

 on its oval shield. This mark was ordered to be stamped upon all plate 

 sold by any maker of, or trader in, plate after the passing of the Act in the 

 third year of George II (1729-30), as evidence that Gel. per oz. had been paid 

 for duty to the Crown. It was added to the previous mark of genuineness 

 (the crowned harp), and, with the maker's initials, and the letter marking the 

 year, 1 gives the full trade record of every piece on which these four marks 

 appear. All that can be added is an inscription giving the donor's name 

 and style, and the date of his gift, which may, of course, be later than 

 the year-letter, as he may have given a piece he already possessed ; but 

 usually represents the year of, or the year after, the manufacture. At 

 all events, as the Hibernie was a new mark, added for a special 

 purpose and by special legislation in 1731, it was natumlh held by all the 



1 This was a letter of the alphabet, commencing with the A of llil'.s. ami starting with 

 a new series, differing in form and shield, every twenty years. Hence tin- \ urions periods 

 are easily distinguishable. 



P.. [.A. PROC., VOL. X\X1V.. SMI. . . L 5] 



