Dating silverware

How do I Date my Silver from its hallmark?

Hallmarks on British & Irish Silver To date your silver from its hallmark first identify the assay office (e.g. anchor for Birmingham, leopards head for London, etc.). Then click on the appropriate link below to go to the tables of date letters.

How can I tell if I have imported silver?

If you are unable to identify the assay office from one of the town marks below you may have a piece of imported silver. Town marks for imported silver have differed from the normal marks since 1904. Illustrations of the various import marks are shown on the Import Markspage.

Is collecting antique silver a good idea?

Today, collecting Antique Silver is a very lucrative pastime, which can be taken up by anyone with a little bit of time and money. Simply learn to recognise those Antique Silver Hallmarks.

What is antique silver and where does it come from?

The mark of origin is the Harp Crowned and it appears with a date letter and maker’s mark. In 1731, the figure of Hibernia was added. Today, collecting Antique Silver is a very lucrative pastime, which can be taken up by anyone with a little bit of time and money.

How do you read hallmarks on silver?

Knowing the history of silver flatware and other items can be very helpful for reading hallmarks. For example, if you see a duty mark on a piece, you’ll know that it was made between 1784 and 1890. You can narrow it down even more if you know when that mark was the king’s head and when it was the queen’s.

Do I need a hallmark on my Silver?

The UK introduced the 1973 Hallmarking Act to help standardise the industry, and integrate with international hallmarking practices. Since that time any items claiming to be made of silver, that weigh 7.78 grams or more, legally require a hallmark. . . Modern silver hallmarks are far easier to identify.

How do you identify antique silver?

In order to properly identify your antique silver pieces, you need to know how to read the hallmark on the item. These stamps indicate the year the item was made, where it was made, and who made it. It can also include a few other pieces, such as a duty mark, although that’s not always the case.

What are antique silver hallmarks and how do they work?

Antique Silver Hallmarks and how to indentify where your silver comes from. Antique silver hallmarks have been used to control the quality of goods made of silver since the 14th century and the organisation that regulates the craft, Goldsmiths Hall, gave the world the term hallmark.

What is antique silver?

Antique silver is truly old silver. When the object is silver it’s usually .925 ( or 925 parts silver with 75 parts copper to produce 1000 parts, usually .925 silver is called sterling. On many old pieces of Russian antique silver the alloying is 840 parts silver with another 160 parts copper.

Are silver plated antiques worth anything?

Silver plated antiques are certainly not worth as much as sterling or other alloys with high silver content. However, your silver plated items may still hold value and could be worth some money. The value of silver plated flatware, for example, has a lot to do with what base metal is found underneath the silver.

How do you identify a silver antique?

Due to this high purity, fine silver is usually too soft for use in making jewelry and other antiques, which is why it is mixed with other metals. If you think you may have a pure – or fine – silver antique, you can look for its distinctive markings. Fine silver is usually stamped with marks like “.999,” “999,” or “99.9.”

What is the value of silverware?

In general, silverware in this category has little value in today’s market beyond that of its silver content (assuming they are genuine silver, which can usually be determined by the markings on the pieces.) Pieces made of silver plate and other “silver-like” metals, unless they are from a top maker, are quite nearly worthless.