Makers’ marks

[Frank S]

The geometrically proven mark served much like a trade mark does today. Another tradesmen might make a mark which looked almost identical but once examined it would be found out not to be the mark of the master whose mark had been proven. This copy tradesmen may not have known of the other's mark and his may be a proven mark as well thereby having his name in the journal along with his mark. Otherwise if he was less than an upstanding tradesmen and he was trying to capitalize on another master's work, much the same way counterfeiters tried and more often failed to recreate an exact reproduction of a secrete identifying mark on a painting or bank note only the original master or the records keepers knew the true geometric dimensions of the marks. he would eventually be exposed as a fraud.