# Plate Assay Act 1700, Section III: No Goldsmith, &c. to make Plate less in Fineness than Standard, nor shall sell any until marked, &c.


Penalty Exception.
And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid That no Goldsmith Silversmith or Plateworker in any of the said Cities shall work or make or cause to be wrought or made any Silver Vessell Plate or Manufacture of Silver less in finess then according to the Standard of this Kingdom which for the Time being is or shall be appointed by Law for wrought Plate nor shall put to sale exchange or sell any Plate or Manufacture of Silver made after the Nine and twentieth Day of September One thousand seven hundred and one untill such Time as such Plate or manufactured Silver shall be marked as followeth (viz[en]) with the Workers Mark to be expressed with the Two first Letters of his Sirname to denote the Maker thereof and also with the Lions Head erased and the Figure of a Woman commonly called Britannia and with the Arms of such of the Cities aforesaid wherein such Plate shall be assayed and marked to denote the Goodness thereof and the Place where the same was assayed and marked and also with a distinct variable Mark or Letter in Roman Character which Mark or Letter shall be annually changed upon the Election of new Wardens for each respective Company to denote the Year in which such Plate is made upon pain that all such Silver Vessells Plate or other manufactured Silver (except such Things as by reason of their Smallness are not capable of recieving a touch) which shall be made exposed to sale or exchanged contrary to this Act shall be forfeited or the Value thereof One Moyety thereof to the Kings Majesty His Heirs and Successors and the other Moiety thereof to such Person and Persons as will sue for the same to be recovered by Action of Debt Bill Suit or Information in any Court of Record in any County or Place wherein such Offence shall be committed and wherein no Essoign Protection Wager of Law or any more than one Imparlance shall be allowed

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Will3/12-13/4/section/III (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/plate-assay-act-1700/section-III
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.