74 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



payment of the duty imposed by this Act the figure of Hibernia in an oval 

 punch was struck on Dublin plate. 



An entry, dated April 21st, 1730, in an assay book belonging to the 

 Dublin Guild of Goldsmiths, states that " duty came on this day." 



From this Act it is apparent that no duty stamp was struck on imported 

 plate, but only on plate made in Ireland. 



Although the mark of Hibernia was struck on Dublin plate from 1730. 

 being first found in conjunction with the date-letter L of that year, it 

 was not legally authorized until the year 1776. In the latter year one 

 Michael Keating, a Dublin silversmith, was convicted of counterfeiting the 

 duty mark on plat* ; but on looking into the matter, it was found that the 

 Commissioners of the Revenue had never appointed any mark to be used by 

 the assay-master. Michael Keating was accordingly acquitted on this charge. 

 The Commissioners of Revenue afterwards received a full certificate of 

 Mr. Thomas Xuttall being appointed assay-master, and they made the proper 

 order therein, and appointed a particular mark to be used by him in the 

 future, and to be struck on all sterling plate pursuant to the Act of 

 Parliament. 



The Hibernia mark was probably selected by the Dublin Guild of Gold- 

 smiths, though ii" reference to the mattei occurs in their proceedings, nor is 

 there any difference in th<- detail of the mark from the year 1770. Acts of 



liament were passed from time to time reimposing the duty on plate, 

 which was finally abolished in 1890. 



The requirements of the Act of 1729 as to the marking of plate do not 

 appear to have been always fulfilled, as frequently pieces of Irish plate are 

 found, made both before and after 1730. which bear do hall-marks, but only 

 the maker's mark. 



To remedy this another Act of Parliament was passed in 1751 (25 Geo. II, 

 c. 10), which laid down that. " Whereas silver plate is often sold without 

 Iteing assayed, touched, and marked, to avoid the payment of the duties, for 

 remedy whereof it is enacted that from and after the first day of May, 1752, 

 no person shall buy, take, and receive in the way of purchase, barter, or 

 exci ay wrought or manufactured gold or silver plate of or from any 



goldsmith or silversmith or any person working or trading in gold or silver, 

 unless it be silver wire or such things, not exceeding 4 dwt. not being 

 assayed, touched, and marked by the assay-master at the time such gold or 

 rer shall be delivered to the buyer, upon pain of forfeiting the value 

 thereof." 



From this latter Act the Provost draws the conclusion that all unmarked 

 plate made previous to t he first of May, 1752, was to be called in, assayed, 



