What is the silver marks Encyclopedia?
Silver Marks Encyclopedia. An extensive reference guide to silver marks, hallmarks, trademarks and maker's marks found on antique and vintage silver, especially sterling and coin silver, and silverplate. Sections for American, British and World marks, plus many useful reference articles for silver collectors.
What is the Silverplate trademark site?
The site's main focus is the silver markings used on vintage and antique sterling and coin silver, for those of you interested in silverplate trademarks, we have now added a large section of silverplate marks.
What was the first standard mark on a silver dollar bill?
top left ~ 1831 - 1868, Second standard mark for .800 silver. First standard mark was a Lyre. top right & center row ~ 1868 - 1942, Unofficial Standard marks, hallmarking was not compulsory. Official standard marks were A 1 for .900 and A 2 for .800, both in a Gothic font.
How do I identify silver hallmarks?
Silver hallmarks are one of the most important factors in identifying antique silver jewelry, flatware, and other items. These small stamped symbols on the back or underside of silver items can tell you the purity of the silver, the manufacturer of the piece, and sometimes even the date it was made.
Is there an app to identify silver hallmarks?
Miller's Silver Marks app is the only product that will enable you to identify an unknown piece of silver from any country around the world – quickly and confidently. It is an essential tool for collectors, academics, dealers and students.
What are the 5 standard silver marks?
There are 5 standard marks found on British Silver:The walking lion for all sterling silver made in England.The standing lion for all sterling silver made in Glasgow.The thistle for for all sterling silver made in Edinburgh.The crowned harp for all sterling silver made in Dublin.More items...
How do you read silver plate hallmarks?
The standard mark identifies your item as being silver. The mark for sterling silver is the lion passant or the lion passant guardant. Both look like a lion in profile. On earlier pieces of silver the lion is looking toward you, and this is a lion passant guardant.
Is there a free app to identify antiques?
Find out how valuable your antiques are with ValueMyStuff. Find out how valuable your antiques are with ValueMyStuff.
How do you identify old silverware?
Buff the silverware to a shine with a soft, nonabrasive white cloth. If the silverware is real, it will leave a slight (or not so slight) black mark. Real silver chemically reacts with oxygen to form a patina (tarnish) while silver plating bonds to the underlying metal, so stainless steel will leave no such mark.
What does 3 crowns mean on silver?
Salad sets in this style are most often silver plate. If the salad set bears a three crown mark that looks like this then it is solid silver of at least 830 fineness.
What does WH mean on silver?
WH into a rectangle. William Hall (possibly)
What is the hallmark for solid silver?
"The words ”silver" and ”sterling silver" describe a product that contains 92.5% pure silver. Silver products sometimes may be marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver.
How do you identify a hallmark?
The four components of a hallmark are: the sponsor or maker's mark, the standard mark, the assay office mark and the date letter for the year. Hallmark identification should answer four important questions - where; what; when; who. Where? Locate the assay office.
What number is stamped on silver?
925International sellers of silver will stamp silver as 925, 900 or 800." These numbers indicate the level of purity of the silver. Sterling silver has a purity of 92.5 percent or higher.
What does letter a mean on silver?
A1 and AA: These discreet markings indicate the number of ounces of pure silver used in the plating. There's two ounces per gross of teaspoons for A1, and three ounces for AA.
What is the letter B in the gate?
Sometimes with date letter in the gate. was added below the pomegranate to indicate the date. Variations on the letter B were used from the 17th century through the 19th century, sometimes including a Loth number. Also used was shield cartouche containing a lion rampant with a diagonal slash across it.
When was the 3 tower and gate mark used?
The three tower and gate mark was used from the 17th century and was rendered within of a shield form until the late 18th cent. Beginning in the early 18th century, a letter was placed within the castle gate as a date mark. Seen with or without the loth number above the chevrons.
When was the rearing horse used?
The rearing horse was used in the 16th & 17th centuries. From the 18th through late 19th century, it evolved into a running horse and acquired a date code letter below his belly. Variations on this shield were used from the 16th through late 19th century. Sometimes without the rabbit ears at the top.
Where is the 12 on a shield?
Sometimes seen with a "12" included above the crown. Some of the small towns in the Pomerania region of Germany also used the same mark. Included with maker's marks. The three tower and gate mark was used from the 17th century and was rendered within of a shield form until the late 18th cent.