posted 04-13-2008 02:08 PM            

In London the Lion Passant Guardant assay punch was radically changed in 1739, probably as a result of the Plate (Offences) Act 1738 being passed (in 1739!)

The old rectangular punch was replaced with one with a indent to each of the vertical sides and two or three indents to the bottom. These indents may well have been made by file cuts to existing punches. These punches were in exclusive use until 1756, when , probably as a result of the short-live annual plate tax, the familiar bottom nippled shaped punch replaced it.

However the same type of indented punch appears at Newcastle in 1759, coinciding with the appointment of Matthew Prior, who regularized the date letters at the same time. The Newcastle punch has, unlike London, indents on the top as well as the sides and bottom. The standard reference books show this mark, albeit very poorly in the case of Jackson , as in use until 1778.

However I have a buckle made by Patrick Beatch with the new style rectangular punch introduced in 1779, although his last assays were in 1778! And there are I believe other instances of pre 1779 rectangular Lion punches at Newcastle.

Can anyone give me some information on this punch please?

Was it a brand new set of punches or an alteration of the old ones?

How far did the time overlap of the use of the indented punch with the rectangular punch go back or were there two sets from inception? Or was the rectangular punch only used on small items, the indented on larger wares?

posted 04-21-2008 03:55 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Clive E Taylor:
And answer came there none !

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Clive,

posted 04-22-2008 03:46 AM            

Personally because the Library is so good and helpful - but always busy - I try to keep my queries down to those I cannot solve myself and am confident they can resolve. Sooner or later we will hear from a Newcastle collector - and probably learn that no-one knows the reasons. But someone must have encountered enough Newcastle silver to know what dates relate to what marks from experience.

I hope !

posted 11-10-2008 11:21 AM            

This theory was reinforced when I found another version with three indents at the bottom of the punch and only one at the top. London had a two bottom indent and a three so both are an easy modification to do with a file.

But nothing is so simple . The buckle has the mark of Thomas PARTIS II whose mark (Gill p183) shows the same long top and short bottomed punch and I am 99% this is his.

But Partis seems to have been active only from 17 Sept 1751 to 19 June 1753 and although Newcastle's registers are missing from mid 1755 to early 1761 it seems unlikely after a two year gap that he re-commenced assay.

As he only had 132 oz ever assayed he must be one of the rarest bucklemakers ever !

Thus this Newcastle Lion Passant almost certainly dates to 1751 to 1753 - at least 2 - 3 years before the discontinuance of the comparable London ones.