1 A Short History of Silver
he
first monarch
on record to show an interest in standardising silver was King John
(1167–1216). He brought into the country silversmiths from Germany to work with
ours so that together they could come to a conclusion as to how pure silver
could be best turned into a workable metal, as silver on its own was too soft
and needed something mixed with it to give it rigidity and yet retain its
malleability.
It was
hoped that by combining the skills of two countries’ silversmiths the solution
could be obtained. It was found, after the silversmiths had carried out their
experiments, that copper was the ideal base non-ferrous metal to alloy with
pure silver. It was agreed that the ideal mixture should be 925 pure silver to
75 base copper. Apart from a small break in 1697–1720, these figures have remained
the same for hundreds of years, and are still the same today.
Nowadays
in England, we pride ourselves on our silver being the best in the world and we
refer to it as sterling silver. The English called the German silversmiths Easterlings
because they came from the east of Germany. Gold and silver coins were also
known as Easterlings. Over the years the word has been modified to what it is
today – sterling. The phrase sterling silver is a recognised standard of
high-quality silver. Silver is the most workable of fine metal. It can be
beaten into sheets and drawn out as wire. It is so ductile that a troy ounce of
silver can be drawn out into a wire 40 miles long. It is a wonderful conductor
of heat and electricity and as it is self-sterilising, germs cannot survive on
its surface; that is why for hundreds of years it has been used for medical and
dental equipment
However,
having defined exactly what sterling silver would consist of by law, it was
difficult to ensure that all silversmiths complied with these standards and
that they weren’t tempted to add a little extra copper to the mixture or take a
little silver out, human nature being what it is. When the wrought plate went
to be melted down for coinage, it was discovered to be approximately 20% short
of what the Royal Mint expected.
By the
late thirteenth century it was found that new problems were being encountered
in this country. In 1238, because of the many frauds that were taking place
among the goldsmiths of England, Henry III commanded the Mayer and Alderman of
London to select six of the most reliable goldsmiths to watch over and
supervise the craft of goldsmiths. When Edward I became king we find them being
referred to as gardiens. It was their task to assay all silver objects
before they were passed from the makers and mark them with the leopards head.
They would also go from shop to shop and any vessels of gold or silver that
were found without the lions head would be confiscated and returned to the
King’s Treasury.
The
reason for this was partly because late thirteenth-century coins, known as
‘pollards and crockards’, were being imported to purchase English gold and
silverwork. The English silver would then be exported to Flanders where the
English silver would be exchanged for double the base rate of coins. The
foreigners were buying English silver and gold with coinage that was not silver
or gold. To curb this malpractice which was affecting the English economy, new
and stricter measures were introduced. When Edward I was approached by the Guild
of Goldsmiths and asked that something be done to standardise products made of
gold and silver in England, he passed a law called Statutum de Moneta,
forbidding the importing of foreign coins.
The
barons and bailiffs of the port of Winchelsea were ordered in 1278 to search
everyone passing through that port, with no exceptions including foreigners, to
ensure that they were not carrying any silver plate, clipped coins, or any
silver, and that any forbidden good should be confiscated until such time as
the offender had answered to the King as to why they were carrying them. It was
also a command of the King that no person was to leave the country with any
part of silver or gold plate without the King’s special licence.
There
were many examples of persons disregarding these laws, despite warnings and
punishments. It became such a problem that the King commanded that these laws
about taking all manner of gold and silver plate, clipped money, or scrap
silver in and out of the country be read out by the bailiffs every fifteen days
at every port in England. Only the King could give permission for a piece of
silver to leave this country. Only he could issue a special licence to allow
anyone to take a piece of silver. The Constable of Dover Castle was given the
responsibility to see that this law was carried out. Failure to comply could
result in a person’s death and forfeiture of the wrongdoer’s wealth and
chattels.
This was
not the end of the matter because a later order required that all monies
brought into the country be tested at the nearest assayer’s office for view and
proof. Unfortunately this did not stop the trafficking in illegal gold and
silver because it was treated as contraband and hidden away from the prying
eyes of the bailiffs, though many were caught and executed.
The law
forbidding the taking of silver from the country was read out at English ports
every two weeks to warn people not to do it. One couldn’t travel to another
country and take silver coinage with them without written permission, yet the licence
to be able to do so was very hard to obtain. In 1306 when the Archbishop of
Canterbury wanted to leave England he was not permitted to take any volume of
coinage with him.
The King
passed a law in 1300 that all pieces of gold and silver would be struck with
the leopard’s head to show that it had been assayed, and met the standards of
the wardens who controlled the quality of gold and silver ingots. This meant
that now the goldsmiths of the realm could be watched more closely to ensure
they were only using stock which bore the leopard’s head. This was the start of
what we know today as the hallmark.