Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths

Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths

The third and present Goldsmiths' Hall in the second half of the 19th century
Location Goldsmiths' Hall,
London
Date of formation 1327 (1327)
Company association Banking and commodity trading
Order of precedence 5th
Master of company Judith Cobham-Lowe, Prime Warden[1]
Motto Justitia Virtutum Regina
Website www.thegoldsmiths.co.uk

The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths is one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London.[2]

The Company, which originates from the twelfth century, received a Royal Charter in 1327 and ranks fifth in the order of precedence of City Livery Companies. Its motto is Justitia Virtutum Regina, Latin for Justice is Queen of Virtues.

The Goldsmiths' Company founded a London Technical and Recreative Institute in 1891, which is better known nowadays as Goldsmiths, University of London.

History and role

The Company was established as a medieval guild for the goldsmith trade, and over time became responsible for silversmiths and jewellers too. Only those clothed with the livery (liverymen) of the Company were licensed to trade such precious commodities within the bounds of the City. Whilst this arrangement maintained standards, it also became restrictive in an ever-increasing global market.

The word hallmarking derives from the fact that precious metals were officially inspected and marked at Goldsmiths' Hall, the Company's HQ. Today, the Company is one of the few Livery Companies still to play a formal role in its ancient trade. Until the late 20th-century, the Company retained paramount responsibility for hallmarking platinum, gold and silver, but successive parliamentary legislation has devolved much authority to Government departments.[3]

Nonetheless, the Goldsmiths' Company oversees the London Assay Office, where objects made of precious metals are tested for purity, and then marked with an official symbol should they pass the necessary tests. At the Trial of the Pyx, the Goldsmiths' Company is also responsible for checking the validity of British coinage.

Goldsmiths' Centre

In 2012 Goldsmiths’ Centre, a space for workshops, exhibitions and events, and education including apprentice training, opened in Clerkenwell.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "New Appointment Shatters 700-year Glass Ceiling". The Goldsmiths' Company. 17 May 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 Engel, Matthew (21 December 2012). "British institutions: livery companies". ft.com. Retrieved 22 December 2012.
  3. ↑ www.bis.gov.uk
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.