Silver Plate Marks

We don't deal much with silver plate pieces but we receive an awful lot of questions about them. One thing that's confusing to many questioners is the plethora of confusing marks one finds on various silver plate pieces.

So, here's a list of clues. If you see one or more of these designations on your piece, it may very well be silver plate.

• A1
• AA
• Coin Plate
• Deepsilver or Deep Silver
• Double or Double Plate
• Electroplate
• EP
• EPC
• EPBM
• EPNS
• EPWM
• Extra Coin Plate
• Extra Plate
• Plate or Plated
• Quadruple or Quadruple Plate
• Reinforced Plate
• Silver Plate or Silverplate
• Silver Soldered
• Sterling Inlaid
• Sterling Plate
• Triple or Triple Plate
• XII
• XIV
• XS

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Attention: Scrap Sterling Buyers

If you buy scrap sterling by weight, read on:

We receive many, many inquiries from readers interested in selling their sterling flatware and hollowware. Although we encourage them to try to find buyers who will appreciate their pieces for their utility and beauty, sometimes the best route appears just to sell it for scrap.

For these buyers, the marketplace is very confusing. Prices paid for scrap sterling vary widely. So, as a service to our readers, we would like to provide a list of potential scrap buyers along with information about the buyers and what they might pay for scrap sterling.

If you are such a buyer, send us an email. You can initiate that process by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column of the screen. Here's what we want to know:

• Company name (required)
• Contact first and last name (required)
• One or more contact points, e.g., email address, telephone number, mailing address (required)
• Price you pay for sterling - see below for options (required)
• Any special requirements such as minimums (required)
• Any costs the seller may have to bear, e.g., shipping, fees, handling, etc. (required)
• Brief description of how your buying process works (required)
• Your web site address (optional)
• Description of your business history (optional)

Price Specification Options

• We prefer a flexible formula that refers to the current day's price of commodity silver, whatever that may be. That way, your price can fluctuate as the silver price fluctuates. We'll convert the formula you provide to a standard one we will use to compare all sellers.
• Price per gram of pure sterling you paid on a specific date in recent history. Tell us what the closing price of silver was on that day.
• Price range per gram of pure sterling you have paid in recent history. Tell us the dates of the range.

What We Will Do

We'll prepare your information into our standard format and email it back to you for your approval. Then, whenever anyone asks us to provide a list of potential scrap buyers, we'll provide the information of all the buyers we have received to to questioner via email.

We promise not to publish the information in any other form. Of course, we have no control over the what the people we send it to will do.

Scrap buyers may update their information with us at any time.

We will not provide the names of potential sellers to buyers.

Disclaimer

The service we will provide is simply an attempt to bring a potential buyer and seller together. We make no claims of accuracy regarding the information we provide to anyone. In no way are we to be party to any transaction or contract that may result. We are not acting as agents for anyone and we are not seeking, nor do we expect to receive, any compensation for this service. Buyers and sellers assume all responsibility for any transaction resulting from the information we provide and they understand that we will not be held liable for anything. We reserve the right to include, or not include, buyers on our list solely at our discretion and for whatever reason we may choose.

Selling Sterling Silver? Don't Be Lazy!

Shop around for the best price!

Here's a concrete example of why this is true.

Last week, we purchased a set of sterling flatware from an individual. The seller was someone we had bought from in the past so we felt comfortable talking with each other about the silver business in general.

Her set contained a little more than 1800 grams of sterling. At that time, commodity silver was selling for around $16.00 per Troy ounce. That meant that her set had a silver content value of about $850.00. If she sold the set to a silver scrap dealer, the worst offer she should have gotten should have been around $450.00. The first such dealer she visited offered her $248.00!

So, if you are trying to sell your silver, invest some time in finding the buyer who will pay you the most. For more hints regarding selling, click on "Selling" under "Labels" in the right column. You may have to scroll the page down a bit.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

How Much Can I Get for My Silver Plate Flatware?

I receive so many questions similar to the title of this post that I thought it was worth writing an article on this specific subject. Here's a link to that article:

What's the value of my silver plate flatware?

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Identification Help

A blog reader has submitted these pictures of a piece to seek help with identifying it. It has the number, "800", on the bottom. You can see the length in the pictures. If you have some idea of what is is, send us an email or post a comment.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Want to Ask a Question?

We receive many questions and we are happy to try to answer all of them. If we can't answer one, we try to point the questioner to other sources.

There are several ways to ask us. We prefer the following site because the question and answer are available to search engines like Google. Other people with a similar question may find our answer by searching.

All Experts - Silver and Flatware

You can also email us by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column of this blog. This is the preferred method if you want to attach several pictures.

You can also attach a comment to a post on this blog but that is our least preferred method because you can't send pictures and we can't respond directly to you since your email address is not included in the "Comment" process.

FYI, you can also contact us through our column here:

Examiner.com

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

What is nickel silver?

"Nickel silver" is an interesting name because the metal alloy referenced by the name contains no silver! It's a mixture of copper, nickel and zinc. Its polished surface bears a resemblance to silver and is used for flatware and for many other things such as woodwind instruments.

Many nickel silver flatware patterns have also been electroplated with silver to create silver plate pieces. However, this is not always the case.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Finding Actual Sales on eBay

We receive comments such as this frequently, "My sterling flatware set must be worth $XYZ.00 because I've seen it listed on eBay for this amount." Listing on eBay and actually selling are two different things.

To develop a true picture of what's selling on eBay, you should examine actual completed sales. Here's how to do this (you may have to sign in to eBay):

• On many eBay screens, you will see a link to "Advanced Search". Click on this.
• Enter your search keywords.
• Check the box that says, "Completed listings".
• Check the box that says, "Include Store inventory".
• Click the "Search" button.

You will see a list of completed listings in the past two weeks that met your keyword criteria. The listings you will want to examine are those that have a little box with the word "Sold" beside them. Review these specific listings to see what was being sold and compare them with what you are considering selling. Examine the selling price.

This will help you determine the true value of your set, at least on eBay.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Identification Help - Steel Flatware

We received a question regarding the pieces you see in the picture. They appear to be made of steel and have enameled handles. The phrase, "JR&Co." is on each handle.

Can anyone out there help identify what these might be? Send an email or post a comment.


Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Questions About Rogers Silver Flatware?

We receive so many questions about Rogers flatware that we wrote an article about the subject for Examiner.com. If you have questions on this topic, we suggest reading the article first.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Hints on Multi-Purpose Serving Pieces

We ran across an old brochure from Ross-Simons the other day that had some handy tips regarding using certain serving pieces for multiple purposes. We thought the information was worth posting here, especially with Thanksgiving just around the corner. The text is copied directly from their brochure. We added the pictures. Thanks, Ross-Simons!

Sugar Spoon... ideal for jellies, jams, condiments and sauces - as well as sugar.



Butter Spreader... serves as a perfect preserve spreader, cheese spreader or fruit knife, too.


Pierced Tablespoon... use alone to serve vegetables in their own juice - or combine with a cold meat fork for a handsome salad serving set.

Cold Meat Fork... for cold meats, cheese slices, chops, waffles, sliced tomatoes, spaghetti - and to match up with the pierced tablespoon for a salad serving set.

Tablespoon... perfect for serving vegetables, fruits, desserts, casseroles and stuffing.

Gravy Ladle... the correct way to serve gravy, creamed dishes, sauces, syrups - even cut up fruits.

Pie/Cake Server... slices and serves pies, cakes, pastries and fish.

Iced Beverage Spoon... You'll want these stirrers for iced tea, parfaits, sherbets, sodas - and retrieving food from tall jars.

Cocktail Fork... essential for seafood - and perfect for serving pickles, lemon slices and butter pats.

Send us an email or post a comment if you have other suggestions.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

U.S. Government Restriction on Pattern Pieces?

A blog reader sent in the following question:

I remember reading somewhere that the US government limited the number of pieces that could be made in any pattern. I believe I remember reading this was after the Victorian era because they created so many pieces. Is this true and if so what did they limit the number to?

No one in our group is aware of this. Can anyone out there help? Send an email or post a comment.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Top 10 Most Popular Patterns of Sterling Flatware

This ought to get us in trouble!

Here's our opinion concerning the ten most popular sterling flatware patterns in terms of units still being purchased regularly. We have some "loose" statistics to back up our opinion but we don't have access to all sales data for new and used pieces. So, take it for what it's worth. It's just our opinion. The list is ordered more less by popularity as we see it but one could definitely argue that a particular pattern belongs higher or lower in the list.

• Chantilly by Gorham
• Francis I by Reed & Barton
• Prelude by International
• Repousse by Kirk-Stieff
• Old Master by Towle
• Royal Danish by international
• Grande Baroque by Wallace
• Strasbourg by Gorham
• Rose Point by Wallace
• Buttercup by Gorham

Please send us an email or post a comment if you have other ideas. We're going to post this list also in our Examiner.com column to see what arguments we can generate there.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Information Request - Silver Flatware from Greece

We have been asked if we know anything about the flatware in the pictures. It's from Greece. The original owner lived in Greece many years ago.

We have no knowledge about this but if anyone out there knows anything about it, please post a comment or send us an email. For example, we would like to know pattern name, silver content, manufacturer, definition of the hallmark or anything else that will help the blog reader know more about this set.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Inside a Hollow Handle Knife

After watching the YouTube video in the previous post, we decided to investigate the inside of a knife handle on our own. In the first picture is a fairly old Gorham Chantilly knife. We estimate that this knife is between 60 and 80 years old but that's just a guess. There was a crack in the blade so we didn't mind ripping it apart to see what was inside.


In the second and third pictures, you can see where we have peeled the sterling outer casing of the handle back a bit. You can see the round shaft of the blade embedded in epoxy inside the handle. We have knocked a bit of the epoxy away at this point.

The third and fourth pictures show the sterling casing with roughly half the epoxy removed. In the fourth picture, you can see a bit of the remaining epoxy in the lower portion of the handle.

The final picture shows the knife blade with the round extension normally embedded in epoxy. You can see indentations probably designed to help it grip the epoxy. There is a bit of epoxy laying beside the blade. This was taken from the tip of the handle. You can just make out some of the Chantilly design in the epoxy.

We weighed the sterling we removed from the knife. It was roughly 30% of the weight of the original knife. We don't know if that's a good working estimate for all such knives because construction techniques may differ.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Example of Hollow Handle & Weighted Sterling

We ran across this YouTube video recently. It illustrates the construction of hollow handle sterling flatware and weighted candlesticks. It's not great quality but watch and listen carefully - you'll understand the basics. It's worth watching.

Refining Silver Flatware and Tableware

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Question About Ice Cream Forks

Ice cream fork and spoon from a 1914 Gorham
document describing the Chantilly pattern

A blog reader has sent us some questions about ice cream forks. Basically, she wants to know the history of such pieces and their status. For example, do sterling flatware manufacturers still make them and if not, when did they stop?

I don't have the detailed answers the reader seeks. We'll appreciate comments or emails from anyone who has facts on this topic. Thanks to any who respond.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Extreme Case of Tarnish

We've discussed in several articles the effects of sulphur on sterling flatware resulting in tarnish. Here's an interesting case regarding more serious tarnish.

In the news media recently, there have been many reports regarding a problem with drywall material manufactured in China. It seems that the drywall emits a gas containing sulphur. Copper pipes and appliance components containing copper are being affected.

The web site, Chinese Drywall Complaint Center, contains information about the problem. We have no idea who actually manages the web site but the information seems reasonable.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Uniformity Throughout the Years - NOT!

We've been in the sterling flatware business long enough to notice an annoying problem. Pieces made by the same manufacturer may not be uniform in size and weight over the years.

Here's a specific example. In the picture below is an oval soup spoon in one of our new favorite patterns, Old Maryland Engraved by Kirk-Steiff. We have two sets of this specific piece currently in our inventory that we obtained from different sources. The spoons are 6 5/8 inches long.

At first glance, the two sets appear identical. They both have the hallmark, "S. Kirk & Son Sterling". Upon closer inspection, it becomes obvious that they are not identical. The spoons in one set weigh about 36 grams each while the spoons in the other set each weigh about 48 grams, or 33% heavier than the lighter spoons! The handle of the lighter spoons appears thinner than the handle of the heavier spoons.

So, if you owned some spoons like this already and you later added to your set, you might not have identical spoons. Are your guests going to notice this? Probably not, but it is annoying that you can't depend upon uniformity even within the same piece in the same pattern.

We're guessing that the corporate buyouts of the Kirk name over the years have led to the slimming down of the pieces - to save money, thereby making a greater profit. We love this pattern and we hate to see discrepancies like this.

So, the moral of this story is - if you are trying to match existing pieces and you are a stickler for exact matches, consult with your selling sources so you understand the details about your potential purchase. Check all dimensions and the weight.

Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.

Examiner.com Sterling Articles

This is to let you know that we now write the articles for the Sterling Silver section of Examiner.com. You can see all the articles at:

Examiner Sterling Silver Articles

We have to say that most of the information presented there duplicates what you will find on this blog. We are trying to find new readers through Examiner.com but wanted blog readers to know about it.


Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.