Hall Mark History
Mood:  cool
The British hall-marks date back to the year 1327, when the Royal Charter ... was granted by Edward III to the ‘Wardens and Commonalty of the Mystery of the Goldsmiths of the City of London’. The statute ordained that no gold or silver wares should be offered for sale until they had been assayed by the Wardens of the Craft and marked with the Leopard’s head if found to be of the required standard. Wares which failed to reach the standard for hall-marking were forfeited to the King. From: THE GOLDSMITH’S AND SILVERSMITH’S HANDBOOK by Staton Abbey pub The Technical Press Ltd 2nd edition revised 1968.