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.