Stamps on
Paper.

stamp, or die, or any such forged, counterfeited [or resembled] impression, or part [or resemblance, 6 Geo. 4, c. 119] of impression, as aforesaid, knowing the same respectively to be forged, counterfeited, or resembled; or if any person shall privately and secretly use any plate, stamp, or die, which shall have been so provided, made, or used, as aforesaid, with intent to defraud his majesty, his heirs or successors; then every person so offending, and every person knowingly and wilfully aiding, abetting, or assisting any person or persons in committing any such offence as aforesaid, and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death as a felon, without benefit of clergy.

Note.-The words in brackets in the 6th section of this statute are omitted, and the words in italics

the recited

act of 12

Geo. 2, C. 26, by the

Company,

&c.,

are inserted in the 6 Geo. 4, c. 119, which imposes stamp duties on newspapers.

Stamps on Plate.

31 Geo. 2, c. 32.

Penalty of XV. Be it enacted, &c., that if any person whatsoever, forging the from and after the said fifth day of July, 1758, shall cast, stamp used for marking forge, or counterfeit, or cause orprocure to be cast, forged, in plate, in or counterfeited, any mark or stamp used, or to be used, pursuanceof for making gold or silver plate, in pursuance of the said act, (12 Geo. 2, c. 26,) or of any other act or acts of parliament now in force, by the company of goldsmiths, in London, or by the wardens, or assayer or assayers, at York, Goldsmith's Exeter, Bristol, Chester, Norwich, or Newcastle upon Tyne, or by any maker or worker of gold or silver plate, or any or either of them; or shall cast, forge, or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be cast, forged, or counterfeited, any mark, stamp, or impression, in imitation of, or to resemble any mark, stamp, or impression, made or to be made with any mark or stamp used or to be used as aforesaid, by the said company of goldsmiths in London, or by the said wardens, or assayer or assayers, or by any maker or worker of gold or silver plate, or any or either of them; or of mark- or shall mark or stamp, or cause or procure to be marked ing plate, or stamped, any wrought plate of gold or silver, or any wares of brass, or other base metal, silvered or gilt over, and resembling plate of gold or silver, with any mark or stamp which hath been, or shall be, forged or counterfeited, at any time, either before, on, or after the said fifth day of July, in imitation of, or to resemble any mark or stamp used or to be used as aforesaid, by the said company of goldsmiths in London, or by the said wardens, or assayer or assayers, or by any maker or worker of gold or silver plate, or any or either of them; or shall transpose or remove, or cause or procure to be transposed or removed, from one piece of wrought plate to another, or to any vessel of such base metal as aforesaid, any mark, stamp, or impres

&c. with a forged or

counter

feited

stamp;

or of transposing the mark im

pressed from one

vessel to another;

Plate.

sion, made or to be made by or with any mark or stamp Stamps on used or to be used as aforesaid, by the said company of goldsmiths in London, or by the said wardens, or assayer or assayers, or by any maker or worker of gold or silver plate, or any or either of them; or shall sell, exchange, or or of selling expose to sale, or export out of this kingdom, any wrought or exporting plate with a plate of gold or silver, or any vessel of such base metal as forged, aforesaid, with any such forged or counterfeit mark, stamp, counterfeit or impression thereon, or any mark, stamp, or impression or transwhich hath been, or shall be transposed or removed from posed mark; any other piece of plate at any time, either before, on, or after the fifth day of July, knowing such mark, stamp, or impression, to be forged, counterfeited, or transposed, or removed as aforesaid; or shall wilfully and knowingly or of having have, or be possessed of, any mark or stamp which hath any such been or shall be forged or counterfeited, at any time, either stamp in before, on, or after the said fifth day of July, in imitation of, or to resemble any mark or stamp used or to be used as aforesaid, by the said company of goldsmiths in London, or by the said wardens, or assayer or assayers, or by any maker or worker of gold or silver plate, or any or either of them; every such person offending in any, each, or either of the cases aforesaid, being thereof lawfully convicted, is felony shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death as a felon, without benefit of clergy.

Note. By stat. 12 Geo. 2, c. 26, s. 5, plate of eleven ounces and ten pennyweights shall be marked with the maker's mark, viz., the first letters of his Christian and surname, and the mark of the said company, viz., a lion's head erased, the figure

possession;

without benefit of clergy. of a woman called Britannia, aud the said mark or letter to denote the year (or, with the mark of the worker or maker, and the mark of one of the said cities or towns respectively).

52 Geo. 3, c. 143.

VIII. Be it declared aud enacted, &c., that if any person Punishment shall, after the passing of this act, transpose or remove, or for forging

stamps on

&c.

cause or procure to be transposed or removed, from one wrought piece of wrought plate of gold or silver to another, or to plate of gold any vessel or ware of base metal, any impression made or silver, with any mark, stamp, or die, provided, made, or used by or under the direction of the said commissioners of stamps, or by or under the direction of any other person or persons legally authorized in that behalf, for denoting any duty or duties, or the payment of any duty or duties, granted to his majesty on gold or silver plate, or shall stamp or mark, or cause or procure to be stamped or marked, any vessel or ware of base metal with any mark, stamp, or die, which shall have been forged or counterfeited in imitation of, or to resemble any mark, stamp, or die so provided, made, or used as aforesaid; or shall sell, exchange, or expose to sale, or export out of Great Britain, any wrought plate of

Plate.

Stamps on gold or silver, or any vessel or ware of base metal, having thereupon the impression of any forged or counterfeited mark, stamp, or die, for denoting any such duty or duties, or the payment of any such duty or duties, or any forged or counterfeited impression of any mark, stamp, or die so provided, made, or used as aforesaid, or any impression of any such mark, stamp, or die, which shall have been transposed or removed from any other piece of plate as aforesaid, knowing the same respectively to be forged or counterfeited, or transposed or removed as aforesaid; or shall wilfully and without lawful excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused) have, or be possessed of any such forged or counterfeited mark, stamp, or die, for denoting any such duty or duties, or the payment thereof; every person so offending, and being thereof convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death as a felon, without benefit of clergy.

&c. to be felony.

55 Geo. 3, c. 185.

Forgery of VII. Be it further enacted, that if any person shall forge gold and or counterfeit, or cause or procure to be forged or countersilver plate] duty marks, feited, any mark, stamp, or die, which shall have been provided, made, or used in pursuance of this or any former act, relating to any duties on gold or silver plate made or wrought in Great Britain, for the purpose of marking or stamping any such gold or silver plate, in the manner directed by any such act; or shall forge, counterfeit, or resemble, or cause or procure to be forged, counterfeited, or resembled, the impression of any such mark, stamp, or die, upon any such gold or silver plate, with intent to defraud his majesty, his heirs or successors; or if any person shall mark or stamp, or cause or procure to be marked or stamped, any such gold or silver plate, or any vessel or ware of base metal, with any such forged or counterfeited mark, stamp, or die as aforesaid, or shall transpose or remove, or cause or procure to be transposed or removed, from one piece of gold or silver plate to another, or to any vessel or ware of base metal, any impression made with any mark, stamp, or die, which shall have been provided, made, or used in pursuance of this or any former act, for the purpose of marking or stamping of any such gold or silver plate as aforesaid; or if any person shall sell, exchange, or expose to sale, or export out of Great Britain, any such gold or silver plate, or any vessel or ware of base metal, having thereupon the impression of any such forged or counterfeited mark, stamp, or die, as aforesaid, or any forged, counterfeited, or resembled impression of any mark, stamp, or die, so provided, made, or used as aforesaid, or any impression of any such mark, stamp, or die, which shall have been transposed or removed from any other piece of plate as aforesaid, knowing

Plate.

the same respectively to be forged or counterfeited, or Stamps on transposed or removed as aforesaid; or if any person shall wilfully and without lawful excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused) have or be possessed of any such forged or counterfeited mark, stamp, or die, as aforesaid, or shall privately and secretly use any mark, stamp, or die, so provided, made, or used as aforesaid, with intent to defraud his majesty, his heirs or successors; then every person so offending, and every person knowingly and wilfully aiding, abetting, or assisting any person or persons in committing any such offence as aforesaid, and being thereof lawfully convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death as a felon, without benefit of clergy.

Excise Stamps. 52 Geo. 3, c. 143.

Punish

in the mak

IX. Be it further enacted, &c., that if any person (not ment for being lawfully appointed or authorized so to do) shall making make, or cause or procure to be made, or shall knowingly frames used aid or assist in the making, or, without being so appointed ing of or authorized as aforesaid, shall knowingly have in his, paper. her, or their custody or possession, without lawful excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on the person accused), any frame, mould, or instrument, for the making of paper, with the words "Excise Office" visible in the substance of such paper; or shall make, or cause or procure to be made, or knowingly aid or assist in the making any paper, in the substance of which the words "Excise Office" shall be visible; or if any person (except as before excepted) shall, by any art, mystery, or contrivance, cause or procure the said words, " Excise Office," to appear visible in the substance of any paper whatever; or if any person (not being so appointed or authorized, as aforesaid) shall engrave, cast, cut, or make, or shall cause or procure to be engraven, cast, cut, or made, any mark, stamp, or device, [any plate or plates, or other thing, with any mark, stamp, or device, thereon, 23 Geo. 3, c. 70], in imitation of or to resemble any mark, stamp, or device, made or used by the direction of the commissioners of excise in England or Scotland, or the major part of them respectively, for the purpose of printing, stamping, or making of any paper to be used as or for a permit or permits, to accompany any exciseable commodity or commodities, removing or removed from one part of Great Britain, [this kingdom, 23 Geo. 3, c. 70], to any other part thereof, in pursuance of the directions of any of the several statutes requiring such permit; every person so offending, and being thereof convicted, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death as a felon, without benefit of clergy.

Note.—The enactment in the 23 Geo. 3, c. 70, s. 9, is precisely similar to this, with the exception of the words in italics.

Stamps on Silks, Calicoes, &c.

10 Anne, c. 19 (made perpetual by 3 Geo. 1, c. 7.)

LXIX. [Imposes certain duties upon all silks, calicoes, linens, and stuffs, of what kind soever, which at any time or times within or during the term of thirty-two years, to be reckoned from the 20th day of July, 1712, shall be printed, stained, painted, or dyed, in Great Britain (such calicoes linens, and fustians, as shall be dyed throughout of one colour only, and stuffs made of woollen, or whereof the greatest part in value shall be woollen, always excepted). ] XCVII. [Commissioners for managing the duties on painted silks, &c., also to provide stamps. Stamps may be altered by her majesty ;] and if any person or persons Counterfeit whatsoever shall, at any time or times hereafter, countering stamps, feit or forge any stamp or seal, to resemble any stamp or felony. seal which shall be provided or made in pursuance of this act, or shall counterfeit or resemble the impression of the same upon any of the said commodities chargeable by this act, thereby to defraud her majesty, her heirs or successors, of any of the said duties hereby granted, then every such person so offending, being thereof convicted in due form of law, shall be judged a felon. And

Persons

selling with

a counterfeit stamp,

if any person or persons shall, at any time or times during the continuance of this act, sell any printed, painted, stained, or dyed silks, calicoes, linens, or other stuffs, as forfeit 100%. aforesaid, with a counterfeit stamp thereupon, knowing the and pillory. same to be counterfeited, and with an intent to defraud her majesty, her heirs or successors, all and every such offender and offenders, their aiders, abettors, and assistants (being duly convicted, as aforesaid), shall, for every such offence, forfeit and lose to her majesty, her heirs and successors, the sum of one hundred pounds.

Note. The words here omitted in the 97th section are" and shall suffer death as in cases of felony, without benefit of clergy," which are repealed by 52 Geo. 3, c. 143, s. 10. The duties imposed by this act are increased by 12 Anne, stat. 2, c. 9 (made perpetual by 6 Geo.

1, c. 4), and the provisions there contained for raising the duties are similar to those of this act. The 66th section of this act, which related to checkered and striped linens, and linens painted, &c., in foreign parts, has been repealed by the 6 Geo. 4, c. 105.

13 Geo. 3, c. 56.

V. [Recites 10 Anne, c. 19, s. 66, and 12 Anne, st. 2, c. 9, s. 5.] And whereas, for the better securing the said rates and duties, it was, by the said act of the tenth of Queen Anne, enacted, that the commissioners to be appointed for