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Punches locked in a box with 2 locks,
one key kept by a warden, the other by an assayer;
never taken out, but in the presence of a warden and an assayer;
wares stamped in presence of 2 witnesses and 1 assayer locked up immediately;
not permitted to be seen by improper persons, under penalty of 200l.
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XXVI. And be it further enacted, That the punches or stamping instruments belonging to each of the said assay-offices, shall be locked up in a box, with two different locks, and the respective keys thereof shall be respectively kept, one key by one of the wardens or deputy-wardens, or touch-warden, and the other key by one assayer of the said company; and in like manner at New Geneva, one key to be kept by the assayer, and the other key by one other person to be appointed by the corporation at New Geneva; and the said punches or stamping instruments, shall never be taken out of the boxes but in the presence of one of the said wardens or deputy wardens, and one assayer of the said company, or of the assayer, and the person so appointed respectively for the purpose of stamping the gold wares which shall have been assayed, and reported standard, and which gold wares shall be stamped in the presence of two or more of the said wardens or deputy-wardens, and one assayer, and the punches or stamping instruments immediately after shall be locked up in manner aforesaid; and that if by connivance of the said wardens or deputy-wardens, any assayer shall stamp, or suffer to be stamped, any plate with the company's stamp, or the stamp of the assay-office at New Geneva, any otherwise than as aforesaid, or if he shall stamp any plate that has not been duly assayed and found standard, or if he shall discover by description in words or otherwise to any person or persons whomsoever, any pattern, design, or invention of any piece of gold plate brought to the office to be assayed as aforesaid, or wittingly or willingly permit or suffer the same to be viewed or seen by any person whomsoever, but the wardens and other persons necessarily employed in the said office, he shall forfeit and pay the sum of two hundred pounds, to be disposed of towards defraying the expences of his respective office, and shall be turned out of his office, and be ever after incapable of exercising the office of an assayer.
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