What You Should Know About Silver Flatware

Maybe you recently visited a garage sale and found a great deal on a set of silver flatware. Then again, perhaps you inherited the family silver from a grandmother or aunt. When it comes to silver flatware, how knowledgeable are you? Would you know an antique silver flatware set’s value if you needed to? There is a bit of investigation involved if you're trying to find out how valuable your silverware is. With any luck at all, the dollar amount could creep into the thousands. But not necessarily.

What Should You Look for In A Silver Piece?

Though there are specific details involved, a completely valueless antique silver piece is uncommon.

So that you can more easily read markings and back stamps, the silver should be gently cleaned, first of all. As to a piece of silver’s worth, important clues can be deemed from silver hallmarks. Silverplate and sterling marks reveal important aspects regarding value. You’ll likely encounter one of the following:

Sterling silver – The word "Sterling" is stamped on the back of sterling silver. If one of these pieces was created after 1850 in the United States, typical marks could include "925/1000", ".925", "Sterling," and “Fine Silver.” A common European mark is “.800.” Silverplate – An item might be plated if it feels particularly heavy for its size. A base metal is electroplated with silver with 1 to 3 micron thickness for this less costly option.

A trained specialist can “acid test” a small inconspicuous area on your silver piece if you are convinced it's extremely old, but it has no mark.

Silver Plated Versus Silver

There is no inherent value where silver plating is concerned. No one's going to melt it down for its silver. You may treat it with love if it has sentimental value, however.

The current melt value for silver is carried by sterling silver pieces. Particularly popular with silver collectors are certain manufacturers and patterns. So valuable are some pieces that, beyond what the silver content would dictate, they are higher priced as an antique.

Silver Patterns And Manufacturers

To find out whether or not the value of a silver piece goes beyond its silver content, you'll need to determine the pattern and manufacturer. Look for a manufacturer’s mark on the back of your silver. It will differ from the stamp. You may consider using a silver hallmarks online encyclopedia.

You'll need to find the pattern in addition to the manufacturer. You may be able to get help:

From websites that deal with patterns/manufacturers
By visiting the library
Through a Google search
By looking at other manufacturer flatware patterns involving antiques

Condition

If an antique is valuable beyond simply its silver content, the condition could come into play. Look for the following (probably with a magnifying glass) after gently polishing the piece:

Monogram removal or monograms
Detail loss
Obvious damage

Any of these may devalue your piece somewhat.

Get Your Silver Flatware Appraised At Wm. Roland Appraisers & Estate Advisors

At Wm. Roland Appraisers & Estate Advisors, we provide professional estate buying services which use fair market value for the evaluation and purchasing of items.

For nearly 50 years, we have proudly served the tri-state area. Would you like to find out more about having your silver flatware appraised, or are you looking for someone to purchase your items?

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