The crown initially opened the York Assay Office as early as 1423.
It had periods of closure and reopening up to 1858, when it finally closed its doors.
There were a series of town marks, including a leopard’s half head and a fleur-de-lis. Later marks included the St Georges cross.
The office was active for relatively short periods of time in comparison to other regional hubs. Surviving York marks on antique silver are scarce and command high collector value beyond their scrap metal value.