| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Fine Silver | 0 | 19 | 4 |
| Shot Copper | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
New standard silver for Hall marking.
| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Fine Silver | 0 | 19 | 6 |
| Shot Copper | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
Quality commonly used in England.
| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Fine Silver | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Shot Copper | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
The qualities of the silver employed by the English silversmiths are invariably below the standard, the duties, assay charges, and loss of time in sending the work to the Hall to be marked acting as a great drawback to the trade in the midst of the keen competition of the present day. Silver chains, brooches, buckles, collarets, &c. are for the most part manufactured from inferior metal. In fact, some manufacturers positively refuse to make Hall-marked goods, on account of the great drawbacks attending the marking.
The alloys of silver are not calculated on the carat system, like gold, but by certain numbers, or other distinctive features, well understood by the particular firms which trade in silver wares. For our present purpose it will be sufficient to distinguish them by using the numerals, 1, 2, 3, 4, &c.; the alloy nearest approaching sterling or standard we shall call No. 1, and so on downwards until the lowest quality has been reached. We may state that silver does not lose its whiteness if not alloyed below equal quantities of the two metals; however, the alloys used in manufactures seldom reach so low a limit.
Silver alloy No. 1, cost 4s. 2d. per oz.
| oz. | dwts. | grs. | |
| Fine Silver | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Shot Copper | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | 0 |