Silver at that time was sometimes marked "COIN" or "PURE COIN", but can also be without a standard mark altogether. 10 - Any mark that is exceptionally small is suspicious. There was a simple reason for this seemingly Draconian behaviour in that the manufacture of silver and gold was allied to the minting of currency. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% an alloy of copper or nickel. Although the standard is expressed in the control mark, a separate stand-alone standard mark is still required. silver plate mark "W&Co" ON A COFFEE/WATER JUG. Kennedy Half Dollar Values and Prices (1964-2015), Gold-Colored Jewelry That Isnt Really Gold, Researching Silver and Silverplate Online, Early Jefferson Nickel Values 1938 - 1964. The best way to catch these carefully prepared forgeries is a side-by-side comparison. These marks mean the same standard as US silver prior to 1870-or 90% silver: These marks mean the same as a content of 92.5% silver: These marks mean electroplated, developed in the US around the Civil War by William Rogers: EPNS Electroplate Silver plate or electroplate is formed when a thin layer of pure or sterling silver is deposited electrolytically on the surface of a base metal. The date letter shows the year that assaying was carried out. imported silver. 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. NOTE: Since 1 January 1999 the traditional fineness mark (e.g. The makers mark will never be recycled even if it falls out of use. To stay competitive with the EC nations, England has recently made several important changes to its hallmarking laws. 30 Typical Atocha silver "coin" with confusing marks. They include: 1) symbol for the town in which the silver content was certified, called an assay or town mark; 2) symbol for the year of manufacture called the date letter; 3) symbol representing the silversmith or factory which made the object, called maker's mark or sponsors mark; 4) symbol for the standard mark guaranteeing the silver content. Pamela Wiggins is a highly regarded antique and collectible costume jewelry expert and appraiser. Since 2015 visually identical UK Hallmarks are being struck in India and Italy by sub-offices of Birmingham & Sheffield Assay Offices respectively: The series of hallmarks described above are still in use in today. lion passant) and the date letter have both been optional. Unknown mark Canadian Plate. These include thimbles, brooches, tussie-mussies, charms, needle cases and other similar pieces. These five nations have, historically, provided a wealth of information about a piece through their series of applied punches. of metal. 8 - Any mark that is badly blurred or badly worn is suspicious. This is especially true with jewelry. Use a cotton swab to gently polish the area near the mark. Makers' Marks. A well researched mark which includes a date stamp in the bottom line, M. Fortunately the forger overlooked the order number and pattern number. The old hallmarks were as unique as today's logos, and disputes often arose when one company copied another's stamp. At the current time, faked cast marks are more commonly found on new silver plate than silver. In 1731, the figure of Hibernia was added. By 1839, scientists in Britain and Russia had independently devised metal deposition processes similar to Brugnatelli's for the copper electroplating of printing press plates. You can also dent sterling a lot easier than Electroplating processes were invented in England in the 1830s and 1840s; this method is still used today. One of the most highly structured hallmarking systems in the world is that of the United Kingdom, (Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland), and Ireland. 1973-1979 Ford Truck 11-Digit VIN Decoder The first (3) digits of the VIN are the 'Truck Series' Looking at the chart below, 'F26' would be 1973-1979 F-250 44 pick-up. HEFT This is kind of like intuitive They were meant to mislead the public into believing that the silver was of English origin. Sometimes called the Sterling Mark, the lion passant, the mark for Made in England, first appeared on English silver and gold in 1544. The head of liberty indicated quality; a date letter, the arms of the city of Baltimore, and the makers initials or name were included. The first recorded instance of nickel silvers use occurred in Qing dynasty China. Import Marks page. 2. Without one of these marks, the item is most likely plated. Today and for the past few centuries, this stamp or silver hallmark has shown the place and year of manufacture of the assayed silver item, as well as the silversmith who made or sponsored the item. Our resources will help identify these. The quality of the original pictures varies greatly and I have been obliged to use some pictures which are not as good as I would like. silver, same as gilding. After that it became uniform for every city. Ornate capital letters or the fleur-de-lis were used in France. Most silver and goldsmiths making bespoke pieces will still opt to use the date letter, however for mass produced silver items it saves the importers money to leave it off. 1A - 1D Typical examples of new silver and silver plate reproductions with new, faked or confusing marks. Forgeries attempting to copy genuinely old marks, are somewhat harder to detect. Fig. Molds made from originals produce copies with original appearing marks. 16-18 REO is a silver wholesaler located in the US. A silver object that is to be sold commercially is, in most countries, stamped with one or more silver hallmarks indicating the purity of the silver, the mark of the manufacturer or silversmith, and other (optional) markings to indicate date of manufacture and additional information about the piece. No old counterpart of the GJ mark is known. Unique, individual or custom markssuch as serial numbers, order numbers, artists marks, hallmarks, etc.were generally made with hand-struck punches, each punch bearing a single letter, numeral or symbol. [citation needed], "The words "silver" and "sterling silver" describe a product that contains 92.5% pure silver. Silver Plate marks on Possible Christopher Dresser Kettle. What are Nickel Silver, German Silver and Alpaca? When items are marked Quadruple Plate, this indicates four layers of silver were applied to the item over the base metal. This doesn't mean all pieces marked sterling or sterling silver old. The words quadruple, triple, double, EPNS, and EPWM indicate that the ware is silver plated. Schwenksville, PA 19473 Silver plate woven basket - unidentified marks. 11-12 and Figs. A silverplate marking, sometimes incorporated into a manufacturer's mark, indicates that the item was made by electroplating a base metal with a relatively thin coating of silver. The makers mark will always be unique. Because of this, some companies within the U.S., such as Tiffany, Reed & Barton and Gorham, adopted their own date marking systems. Several of the pieces were close copies of known original shapes. Many other marks can be found on a silverplate piece. The oval tab marked 925 shown here is soldered on a new rattle. The most significant change has been dropping the mandatory use of the passant lion as a standard mark. Parcel Gilt Only part of article is treated with gilding. Image credit: beadsandpieces.com. There are 13 potential purity markings, depending on the purity as well as the city of origin. Individuals that have silver items are always eager to know whether what they have is sterling or silver plated. With almost any silver or silverplate item, you'll notice tiny stamped marks somewhere on the piece. 37. Blurred marks can be a sign of a cast, not stamped, mark. It has been represented by the lion passant (looking ahead) since 1875. we respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. Which had incidentally, been used as the gold assay mark for Sheffield when the Assay Office was first entitled to test gold, after March 1st 1904. You must examine how marks are made as well as how the mark reads. Items containing the purest forms of silver would be labeled .999, but in reality, silver is too soft to be used in manufacture unless it is mixed with other metals. 16, 18). A new piece marked Unger Bros. a 19th century firm known for quality silver and 925 is legal as long as the silver content tests at 925. This ratio is called the "sterling standard" and has been used in the US since the mid-1860s. 2 posts Page 1 of 1. little john Posts: 1 Joined: Sun Mar 23, 2014 12:16 am. HOME; American Marks. All very good quality. 35-36. The original includes both a pattern and order number missing in the fake. I have a typical Sterling Tray with a mark that has stumped me. Since then, almost all silver of that quality sold among EC member countries has the 925 standard mark. Homeowners Personal Contents & Collections. We use this to improve our products, services and user experience. Cast, or molded, marks almost always lack the detail found in stamped marks. Since new molds are usually made by copying originals, marks on originals are usually transferred to the new molds. Silver was stamped with a lion for London, a thistle for Edinburgh. This is a fantasy product. 20) was first reported in the spring of 2001. Many of Mackie's hallmarks are extremely small, some measuring about half the diameter of the lead in a wood pencil. Their products are usually marked REO plus the copyright symbol, and the word sterling (see Figs. Most of the treasure was in the form of silver bars. A small sampling that may help to identify the country of origin. 2023 Copyright Antique Silver Buyers | We are Florida Licensed Auctioneers | Developed & Marketing By, Bottom of silver trays, bowls, teapots and dishes, Bottom of candlesticks, figurines, vases and decorative pieces. Hallmark Identification [Date Letters] Scottish Provincial Marks Identification. The letter at top indicates town, A = Vienna, year 1857. DAB is the mark of contemporary English silversmith David Bowles. The four still in operation in the United Kingdom are London, Edinburgh, Sheffield, and Birmingham, and one in Dublin. No old counterparts were ever made. This helps to understand the value of the product and make informed decisions about buying and selling of such items. 1. For both buyers and sellers of silvers, an understanding of such factors as the age, manufacturer, and rarity of silver items determines the value attached to the items. For example, a Diana head within a frame made in the shape of a 5-petal flower represented 5160/1000 = 800 thousands fineness, a local silver standard commonly used in table forks and spoons. I have attended many auctions in all parts of the country. Between 1708 and 1853 the crown is often incorporated with the date letter struck on small objects. Alaska Silver A base metal Since 1821, the uncrowned leopards head has remained as the distinguishing mark of London. Silver products sometimes may be marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver. Martel was made of silver of sterling or better quality, some with 950 parts silver to each 1000 parts. The hallmarking of Irish silver began towards the middle of the 17th century. Usually, said precious metal, as the name suggests, is silver. The fake is made from two pieces of silver. Antique Silver Hallmark Identification Forums. The globalization of commerce has prompted nations to use the same units of weight, measure and standards to increase trade. From 1696 to 1720 the standard of silver was raised from 92.5% to 95.8% pure. This article will review some of the most common new and confusing marks appearing on 925/1000 silver and silver plate. This same system was also used to frame gold hallmarks. From 1929, Japan Mint assays and hallmarks the articles made of silver. Manufacturers change their marks over time but there are online resources that can help you to identify each hallmark. View more in our Electroplated Nickel Silver Price Guide. The term 'hallmark' actually dates back to 1478, and was introduced purposely for silver hallmarks. 800 is usually found on continental silver. Some authentic Victorian-era silver-plated pieces do bear applied discs with the manufacturers name. French silver also is punched with the mark of the maker, by law in the shape of a lozenge, usually with the maker's initials and a symbol. HOME; American Marks. Right ~ 19th Cent. Use the standard mark to determine the fineness of the metal. To locate it in different items, check: Finding the hallmark is just the beginning of silver hallmarks identification. This mark was introduced in 1730, and is still in use today. Therefore, hallmarking is generally done before the piece goes for its final polishing. The term Electroplated Nickel Silver (EPNS) refers to the coating of the base metal nickel silverwhich in itself contains no actual silverwith precious metal. Become familiar with the English king or queens head mark as an indication of age. This is still the standard for sterling silver. 2010 8:01 am. : describes (when possible) a symbol present on the silver plate hallmark gothic : the letters are in gothic style date indicates approximate period of firm's activity ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF SILVERPLATE MARKS