'Proposals for setting a new standard of Plate'

Proposals for setting a new standard of Plate.

That from & after the          day of        1711 no goldsmith, silversmith [1] {illeg} to denote the year in wch such plate is made. [2] all silver vessels plate & manufacture of silver (except silver wire & uch things as by reason of their smalness are not caparable of receiving a mark) shall contein          {illeg}oun{illeg}ces            penny weight of fine silver in the pound weight Troy, & note loss without erring in defect unless by accident & within so{illeg}the limits hereafter prescribed, & shall be {illeg}marked as followeth, that is to say, with the workers mark to be expressed by the two first letters {illeg}of his Sirname {sic}, & the marks of the mystery or craft of the goldsmiths wch instead of a Lyons head erased {illeg}& the figure of a woman commonly called Britannia shall be the                            & a distinct {illeg}variable mark to be used by th{illeg}e Warden of the said mystery to denote the year in wch such plate is made.

And if after the said           day of            any vessel plate or manufacture of silver being brought to be assayed & touched or marked for good,a[3] or any part or piece thereof except the soder, shall be found upon the assay to be worse or less in fineness theb[4] half penny weight full or above one half penny weight of fine silver then the aforesaid standard of          ounces            penny weight of fine silver in the pound weight Troy, the Assayer shall, upon pain of losing his place of Assayer, report the same & enter the report in a book & repeat the assay in th{illeg}e presence of the {illeg}owner or his Order & of two or more indifferent witnesses, & if it shall again prove to lack one half penny weight or above one half penny weight{illeg} full of the standard fineness above mentioned the said Assayer shall deface the same & return it to the owner, but if the same shall upon both assays lack one penny weight full or above of the standard fineness above mentioned, thec[5] same shall be detained & forfeited to the Wardens & Company of the mystery of or craft of the goldsmiths where the said assays shall be made. And if any vessel plate or manufacture of silver shall be suspected tode{illeg} have mtoo much soder manifestly more soder then is necessary or to be suspected to be otherwise deceiptfully {sic} or fraudulently made, it shall be lawf{illeg}ull for the Wardens of the said mystery or those authorized or imployed by them for the assaying or& marking of plate in the presence of the owner &or his assign Order & two or more indifferent witnesses to search, {illeg}or deface, melt down & assay the same, & if it shall appear to plainly be deceiptfully {sic} or fraudulently made, or if upon the assay it shall {illeg}be foudn less in fineness then the aforesaid standard by above two penny weight full or above more then two penny weight of fine silver in the pound weight Troyc {sic}[6] the same shall be detained & forfeited to the Wardens & Company of the said mystery.

And if after the said {illeg}        day of          any vessel plate or manufacture wch is capable of a mark &of silver shall be exposed to sale sold or exchanged which is not marked as aforesaid, or wch in any part or price thereof except the soder shall be worse or less in fineness then the standard aforesaid by one penny weight full or above one penny weight of fine silver in the pound weight Troy, or wch together with the soder <567r> being melted down & assayed the same shall be found worse or less in fineness then the standard aforesaid by above two penny weight of fine silver, the same or the value thereof shall be forfeited by the workman who made the same, the one half to the Queen & the other half to such person or persons who will seize or sue for the same to be recovered by action bill &c.     {illeg}And if the {illeg}same hath is sumarked for good by the {illeg}Wardens or Masters of the said mystery or those authorised & imployed by them for the assaying & marking of plate, the Wardens & corporation of that mystery {illeg}for the time being shall forfeit & pay                                                the one half to the Queen & the other half to any Person or Persons who shall buy the same & be grieved thereby, to be recovered as aforesaid; andy thing in this or any former Act or Acts of Parliamt &c