Irish silver offers some complications in regard to its markings, and it is especially interesting in its character.
Dublin is the centre of the silversmiths’ work in Ireland, and officially the Dublin Goldsmiths’ Company holds the exclusive right of assaying and marking Irish silver ; but, as we shall show, there was excellent silver made elsewhere in Ireland, notably at Cork, and in the section devoted to Irish silver some fine specimens are illustrated.
The Standard Mark is the harp, and was used with the crown added to it, in the year 1637, under the terms of a charter granted by Charles I to the Goldsmiths of Dublin.
As the reader knows, in England from 1784 to 1890 the head of the sovereign was added as a mark to denote that duty had been paid. But in Ireland a Duty Mark was in force as early as 1730, viz. the figure of Hibernia. In 1807, in the reign of George III, the duty was raised ; and it was enacted by George Ill that the king’s head should be stamped as a Duty Mark. This was continued till 1890, as in England, but at the same time the old Duty Mark of the figure of Hibernia was retained, and has still been used since 1890. The figure of Hibernia may be practically regarded as a Hall Mark, although it was first adopted to denote that duty had been paid.
The Maker’s Mark, in the early days a device, and later initials, follows the practice of assay offices in England. The date letter was used from the middle, of the seventeenth century. The present series of letters from 1896 to 1920 covers the alphabet from A to Z (omitting J) in old English capitals.
Sterling hallmarks from a sugar caster by George Lyng of Dublin, Ireland. Dated 1699.
Dublin. 1699. The marks of this date shown opposite are from a caster. The maker is George Lyng. This was of the period prior to the adoption of the figure of Hihernia.
Irish silver hallmarks dated 1706 from a cup with harp handles by Edward Barrett of Dublin.
Dublin. 1706. These marks are taken from a cup with harp handles. The harp with crown is in a gracefully shaped shield. The Maker’s initials are E.B., for Edward Barrett, and the date letter S.
Irish hallmarks dated 1770 from a silver cream pail by Will Haynes of Dublin.
Dublin. 1770. In these marks, drawn from a cream-pail, the figure of Hibernia appears. It will be noted that this is prior to the addition of a Duty Mark in England (in 1784), and prior to the further addition of a second Duty Mark in Ireland (in 1807), when the head of George III denoted that duty had been paid. The Maker of this piece was Will Haynes. The date is about 1770, but undecipherable.
The present Dublin alphabet A to Z Old English capitals (omitting J), commenced in 1896. The date letter for 1915 is U. These letters are in the same order as the London alphabet from 1896, but the latter is small Roman, and commences again at A in 1916, whereas the Dublin alphabet continues to Z in 1920.
Irish silver hall marks dated 1694 with maker's mark Robert Goble of Cork.
Cork. 1694. This series of marks shown opposite includes the mark of Robert Goble, of Cork, the maker. The two castles on different stamps appear on Cork examples, and the galley with sails.
Maker mark for Jonathan Buck of Cork, Ireland from a silver cream jug dated 1764.
Cork. 1764. These marks are drawn from a cream-jug, with fine chased and repousse work, signed by Jonathan Buck in full, and having as a mark a buck, together with the word STERLING, which was sometimes used on Cork and other Irish silver.
Source: Chats on Old Silver by Arthur Hayden.
