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Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Do Used Silverplate Pieces Have Any Value?

I don't want to offend anyone so I am going to quote an article I found on the web at www.silverqueen.com (the underlining is mine):


Sterling silver always retains it intrinsic silver value & usually a value also as tableware. Silverplate has no intrinsic silver value. It is not worth the refining costs to try to redeem the silver. It has very little resale value as tableware. Sterling will last forever if you want to use it and take care of it. Most Silverplate will last approximately 20 years or less depending on use with the proper care.

Having watched silverplate pieces being offered and sold (or not sold) on eBay and craigslist, I concur.

NOTE: See later post titled, "New Information on Silver Plate Value", June 7, 2009.

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7 comments:

bob said...

Hi my name is bob and I wonder if anyone has some knowledge on hallmarks on silver. I have silver platter with a hallmark of a stamped crown followed by SBEP in an english lettering. I do not know how to read but would like to know if it is silver or silver plating

Silver Jim said...

This is in response to the previous comment.

I believe your platter might be made of silver plate. It's highly likely that an American tray would have the word, "Sterling", on it if it was sterling. British sterling marks do include a crown but they also include other marks that are not on your platter. There is the possibility that "EP" stands for "electroplate".

Go here for examples of sterling and silver plate marks, American and British: www.925-1000.com .

Anonymous said...

I have a pitcher marked Wm Rogers x 300. What does that mean?

Silver Jim said...

This is in response to the previous comment.

I have not seen this exact set of marks but they are consistent with other marks found on silver plate pieces. The 300 could either be a model number of some indication of the plating thickness. I think it's a model number.

Anonymous said...

SIlver Jim,

I've been doing a lot of silver study to see what items I have are sterling and which are silverplate. In the process, I've come across items which are marked only with letters icons and logos and I've found articles that indicate that in the US and other countries, getting patents became extremely expensive, so manufacturers used a combo of stamps, letters, icons, etc. Bottom line, especially in foreign countries, sterling isn't always stamped 'STERLING.' I'll try to find the article and link it. see:
http://www.manyhorses.com/sterling_silver_quality.htm paragraph #4
that's all I can find, but there are also Gorham sites (I think if you 'google' Gorham logo or Gorham crests which show what markings mean what. Team

George said...

i have a small double handled dish which I assume is silver plate as it only bears two marks - the figure 300 and a crown. Can anyone please tell me if this is correct for silver plate and who may have made it and when? I think the item may be 100 years old or very close to it. George, Ausdtralia.

Silver Jim said...

This is in response to George.

I'm not familiar with this set of marks. The crown is used in many forms of marks, especially in Great Britain, but I don't recall seeing "300".

Maybe someone else will comment.