Silver plate hallmark identification wizard

The history of hallmarking in Britain began in the year in the reign of King Edward the first.

See also the definitions page in this guide for additional information on hallmark components. Note at centre of the image at right the four elements of the hallmark. Detailed image of hallmark far right. Locate the assay office. If your item does not have one of the standard fineness marks, either traditional or numerical, then it is probably silver plate or is from another county. Go no further. The date letter shows the year that assaying was carried out.

Silver plate hallmark identification wizard

Reading silver hallmarks can tell you a lot about your silver item, including the purity, where it was assayed, in whose factory it was produced, and the year in which the item was assayed. This helpful guide will help you get started with reading your hallmarks. The first step in reading silver hallmarks is to locate the marks on your item. The location of the marks varies from item to item, but there are some general rules. For example, the hallmarks on silver flatware are usually located on the back of the piece, on a flat edge. If the hallmark is unclear then you can breathe on it — like you would to produce condensation on a window, and the mark should become a little clearer. The standard mark identifies your item as being silver. The mark that indicates sterling silver is called the lion passant. Two variations of this mark have been used throughout history. You may find that your item does not bear the lion passant, but rather the figure of Britannia, indicating that the item is of Now that you know that your item is silver and the purity of your item, it is time to find out where the item was assayed. Each assay office where items are tested for purity and stamped as sterling if they meet the requirements has its own distinct mark, known as the town mark.

By the sterling standard was restored but Britannia silver remained as an alternative. Early Asian sterling is marked with Asian characters. The date letter shows the year that assaying was carried out.

Buying or holding on to silver can be a very smart investment decision. However, when you buy rare or antique silver pieces , it is important to know that the hallmarks are designed to ensure their age and provenance, minimising the risk of your investment. In this article, we explore how you can easily identify what the silver marks — small stamped symbols — on the back or underside of silver items actually mean. The hallmarks on a piece of silver are there to provide you with information on the purity of the silver, who designed it, and occasionally to give you insight into when the item was made. Silver hallmarks should consist of four key elements:. The date letter hallmark on silver is where you can identify the year the silver piece was hallmarked. A full list can be viewed here.

When it comes to antique silver plate, identifying the hallmarks is essential to determine its age, origin, and maker. English silver plate hallmarks are no exception. These marks are stamped onto the metal to indicate the quality of the silver, and provide a valuable insight into the history of the piece. A hallmark is a mark stamped onto the metal of an item to indicate the quality of the silver. In the case of English silver plate, the marks indicate that the item is made of silver-plated metal, not solid silver. The hallmark also includes the name of the maker, the year the item was made, and the city or town where it was made.

Silver plate hallmark identification wizard

Identifying silver plate marks can be a challenge for both seasoned collectors and those who are new to the world of silverware. Silver plate marks can provide valuable information about a piece's origin, age, and quality, but they can be difficult to decipher without the right tools and knowledge. This is why it's important to understand what silver plate marks look like and what they mean. Silver plate marks are symbols or letters stamped onto silverware that indicate the quality and origin of the piece. They are similar to hallmarks, which are used on solid silver, but they have different markings and serve different purposes. Silver plate marks indicate that a piece is made of a base metal that is coated in a layer of silver, and they also indicate the company that made the piece and the year it was made. Silver plate marks can include symbols, letters, and numbers that indicate the quality and origin of a piece. For example, the letters "EPNS" indicate that a piece is made of electroplated nickel silver, while the letter "W" in a shield shape indicates that it was made by the company Walker and Hall.

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Ia Jz. The standard mark for sterling silver used by the Edinburgh Assay Office was a Scottish thistle, the Glasgow office a lion rampant, and Dublin a harp crowned. Date letters were also used to identify the Touch Warden responsible for the assaying. He passed an order that commended the mayor and the aldermen a co-opted member of an English county or borough council, next in status to the Mayor of the City of London to choose six London-based goldsmiths to superintend the craft. Due to an oversight, the and legislation did not repeal this requirement and the new import marks were not applied to watch cases until 1 June , when the hallmarking of watch cases was brought into line with that of other imported silver. The standard mark This mark shows that the fineness of the metal meets a specified legal standard. Di Dz. The images below will help guide you through the most common silver marks you'll find—and how to decipher each of them. G into a shield is accompanied by symbols and letters into four different outlines imitating a sterling hallmark. Add to basket. The markings for American vs. Forgot your password? This new standard was not less than eleven ounces and ten pennyweights of pure silver in the pound troy; that is, at least The mark "90" is a standard identifier for silver plate originating from Germany, and this is located on the bottom of the spoon's handle.

Silver Dictionary' of A Small Collection of Antique Silver and Objects of vertu , a pages richly illustrated website offering all you need to know about antique silver, sterling silver, silverplate, Sheffield plate, electroplate silver, silverware, flatware, tea services and tea complements, marks and hallmarks, articles, books, auction catalogs, famous silversmiths Tiffany, Gorham, Jensen, Elkington , history, oddities This makes difficult the research of information for inexperienced people. The objective of this page is to help the visitors of the site in deciphering the marks of their British silverplate.

The Martha Stewart team aims to teach and inspire readers daily with tested-until-perfected recipes, creative DIY projects, and elevated home and entertaining ideas. Dave W. Tea services, coffee pots, cutlery , candlesticks etc are all examples of items that were made for a specific purpose. A date letter was also introduced. However, the assay offices of Chester, Exeter, Newcastle upon Tyne and York were authorised to strike the new marks of the lions head erased and the figure of Britannia on silver of the new standard. See also the definitions page in this guide for additional information on hallmark components. Go no further. The straightforward marks on this piece of Danish silver identify that it's sterling. Having found a standard mark, next find where the item was assayed. Entree Dishes. The lion passant was also marked by provincial assay offices in England after ; sometimes passant, sometimes passant guardant. Qa Rz.