Guided archive session in small groups through the Goldsmiths' Company Library and Archive, handling historic hallmarking registers, mark plates and tools.
Goldsmiths' Hall is opening its library and archive for a session on hallmarking on Thursday 22 October, with two slots to choose from: 11:00–12:00 and 14:00–15:00. It's called Archive Experience: The (not so) secret world of hallmarking, and it's run by the team that looks after the collections, who'll lead you through the library and let you handle some of the archive's oldest items.
If you've never thought about it, hallmarking is one of the world's oldest continuous forms of consumer protection. It goes back to the reign of Henry II, more than 840 years ago, and the Goldsmiths' Company has been responsible for it since 1327. Goldsmiths' Hall itself has been the home of hallmarking and the London Assay Office since 1478. A hallmark tells the buyer what an object is made from, when it was made, who sent it to be hallmarked (the sponsor), and which of the four UK Assay Offices tested and marked it. It's a small set of marks that carries a lot of weight when you're buying gold or silver.
During the session, you'll get to see the actual records and tools behind the process. That includes the earliest surviving register of sponsor marks, dating from 1697, original mark plates from the 1770s, and historic punches and tools. It's a chance to see the physical side of a system that's been running in the City for centuries.
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Tickets are £25, and the proceeds go to Goldsmiths' Giving, a charitable partnership between The Goldsmiths' Company and the National Saturday Club that helps young people across the UK access creative education. The sessions run in small groups of ten, so you'll need to book ahead. You'll find Goldsmiths' Hall on Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN.
