78 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



about 1780-90. (The College paid £84 16s. 8id. to a silversmith in 1781 for 

 plate and engraving.) Although similar in some ways to cups of the earlier 

 periods, the work of these three cups does not appear to be of those periods, 

 and there is no sign of the handles having been replaced, as the Provost 

 suggests. The handles are typical of the period of the hall-marks. 



It seems curious that three cups, given at different periods and by different 

 donors, should all bear the same maker's mark and hall-marks of a much 

 later period. I am inclined to think that these three cups were made about 

 17S0 or 1790 to replace the pieces given at much earlier dates, and which 

 had become battered. Another cup, inscribed with date of gift 1751, bears 

 the Dublin hall-marks and date-letter for 1817, and maker's mark of James 

 Lebas. The cup itself is in the style of about 1750-1760, a plain-belted cup, 

 but the hall-marks clearly show that it must have been made in 1817. If 

 the piece was made in 1751, how could the date-letter for 1817 be put on, as 

 the Provost contends, or how could the King's-head punch, which did not 



• •"in i until 1807, be struck .' This also appears to be a piece made at a 



later period in the style of the date of gift. The silversmith could easily 

 have procured a cup "i the period as a model. 



A cup, inscribed with date of gift, 1699, bears the Dublin hall-marks and 

 date-letter for 181 t. and maker's mark of James Lebas. This cup is of a style 

 in fashion neither in 1699 nor in 1814, but belongs to about the middle of the 



bteenth century. M v the Bame silversmith as the last, he probably 



copied a mid-eighteenth-century model in l«>ili cases. If the cup was made 

 in 1699, how could it have the duty-mark not struck until 1730, the King's 

 lead nol struck until 1*07, and the date-lettei for 1 S14 ^ In any case a cup 

 of this form was unknown in 1699. 



As the date-letter punches and generally the other punches were defaced 

 annually, there could be no possibility of obtaining an old punch to mark 



plate with. 



Turning to salvers, there are several anomalous examples. A salver with 

 inscribed date of gift 1714. bears the Dublin hall-marks for about 1750-60, 



but late-letter, and maker's mark <>i Robert Hopkins. Robert Hopkins, 



accordin;.' to the College accounts, was paid £148 in 1758 for plate for the 

 College. This style of salver was not in fashion in 1714, the usual salver of 

 that period being a plain circular one on a central foot, while this one has a 

 shaped border and rests on four scroll feet. Salvers of the early part of the 

 eighteenth century are found on tour feet which are usually perpendicular in 

 form ; but the shape of the salver is not circular, but more or less rectangular, 

 with rounded or set back corners. This salver could not have been made in 

 1714, and it is curious that the hall-marks (including Hibernia, which could 



