The College shields - Royal School of Mines

All across the world, the hammer and pick motif is associated with mining. It is widely seen in the Bar and not just in the RSM logo; it also features in the logos of several other mining institutions which are on display in various places around the Bar.

Here, on the RSM shield, it is in relief on a black engrailed shield with the coronet above and the initials RSM, all in gold.

To understand the motif, you must appreciate that the two tools are laid down in the form of a St. Andrew's Cross, arranged as a left-handed miner would leave them before and after work. The miner would firstly place down the pick that is held in his weaker right hand (with the handle to the right and the tip to the left) and would then lay the much heavier mallet/sledge hammer, which was held in the more powerful left hand, on top.

But most of the population of miners are right handed, so most frequently you will see a reversed version.

If we wander across to the bar you can see an illustration of the hammer and pick being correctly held and correctly used by a right-handed miner. It is on the Agricola Stein. Let's take a look at it now...........