People have valued and used silver throughout much of recorded history. At times, it has been more highly regarded, and as a result more valuable, than gold.
Cleaning Antique Silver
Silver, in its purer forms, is a relatively soft and malleable metal. This means it is suitable for working into tiny intricate shapes that are ideal for jewelry, holding tiny letters and images (e.g. coins) or for larger shaped objects such as plates and tableware. It is also relatively resistant to damage by the elements – apart from a mild discoloration that can usually be easily cleaned off.
Wash your silver in warm water. Use a gentle polishing cream and a toothbrush to get at hard to reach places. Finally, wipe wipe a soft cloth. A void dishwashers, salt, harsh chemicals and very hot water.
Silver has always been attractive primarily because a) it’s shiny and b) its relative rarity and high value have always meant it is a sign of wealth and taste! It’s not a noble explanation but the truth is, people have always wanted shiny valuable things.
Protecting Your Investment
Silver historically suffered from one major problem – people couldn’t actually agree what it was.
More correctly, everybody could agree what silver was in its pure form but the pure metal is often far too soft to be practically useful and has to be mixed with other metals (often called ‘base metals’) to give it sufficient hardness to be used in jewelry etc.
It should be no surprise to know that initially many merchants would describe just about any silver-colored metal as ‘silver’ even if its silver content was perhaps 50% or less. Mixing it with far cheaper base metals and still calling it ‘silver’ was good business and at times in the past, arguably not even illegal.
It should be even less of a surprise to know that the upper echelons of society didn’t like this much. They wanted their coinage and precious items to be of a reliable and standard value to support their own wealth accumulation and trade exchanges. Of course they also wanted to ensure they were able to collect their taxes on wealth held in silver without a philosophical debate about whether the items in question were or were not silver in reality.
Antique Silver Dealers – Standards And Hallmarking
The solution adopted was to specify certain ‘minimum standards’ of silver content that a piece of metal must contain before it could be legally called ‘silver’. This practice started in different countries at different times – in several European countries standards were adopted in the earlier mediaeval period.
In England (which later directly affected US definitions) the standard was set at 925/1000. What this means is that a silver item must contain at least 925 parts of pure silver per 1000 – in other words it is 92.5% pure which may be an easier way of thinking about it.
The English at the time (c1150s) may have got the idea of a 925 standard from German traders and silversmiths who came from a part of Germany the English called ‘Easterlings’ and this is one suggested origin of the word ‘Sterling’ (though some people say the origin of the term is even earlier).
Very quickly, people discovered that some form of mark was needed to prove to others that the metal met standards and was in fact silver. The trades associations and guilds of the time literally operated in large trade halls. Anyone making an item in silver had by law to get it tested and stamped as correct at the guild hall – hence the term and tradition of ‘Hallmarking’ as a guarantee of purity.
The sterling standard has been increasingly adopted as a global guarantee of minimum standards and is now widely, though not universally, used.
Different Standards
Many countries and sometimes regions adopted different standards. Some countries had no standards at all. Others, such as France, adopted a standard of 950/1000 and later two standards, one of 800/1000 and one of 950/1000.
What this means for antique silver is that the buyer has to be aware of these differences and decide whether or not they are important to them. It is a fact, for example, that French 950/1000 grade silver will usually be more valuable and sought after than the 800/1000 grade equivalents. That’s because it would originally have been used for higher quality pieces and it obviously contains a higher silver content.
Nevertheless, there are antique and beautiful pieces from countries such as Germany or France that are made in 800/1000 silver. If you like the piece, then you may not be bothered at all that it contains 12.5% less silver.
In general terms, most antique silver pieces that originate from Europe will carry some form of recognizable hallmarks. Using reference books, you should be able to trace the approximate date of manufacture and tell the silver purity value.
Silver Fakes & Look-alikes
Some people have always tried to get other people to pay silver prices for objects that look like silver but which actually are not. It’s also true that, rather more legitimately, others have tried to do this with the intention being to allow those with less money to buy things that appear to be silver.
There are too many of these alloys and techniques to describe in detail here but if you are thinking of buying antique silver or starting collection, here are a few tips:
An item marked ‘Silver Plated’ or ‘EPNS’ is NOT solid silver. It only has an outer skin of silver over a base metal interior.
Objects marked ‘Métal Argenté’, ‘Plaqué’, ‘Argentan’ or ‘Argent Fourré’ are similarly not solid silver.
There are a whole range of alloys and composite metals that have been used over the years to simulate silver. Such items may be marked or called Nickel-Silver, Silveroid, Alpacca, German-Silver and Britannia Metal.
A stamp ‘925’ or ‘Sterling’ is NOT a hallmark and evidence that the object has been tested. It just means that the maker has certified that it is sterling standard. This may generate the need for some caution with items from countries that do not have strong, central law-enforcement and anti-fraud practices.
Antique Silver Hallmarks
As a general rule, if you are thinking of purchasing a piece of antique silver and it is European, it should carry an appropriate national hallmark. These can be looked up in references and verified though if it is a very expensive piece it may be advisable to have the marks examined by an expert, as there are fakes around. It is also not unknown for antique dealers to make mistakes and misattribute marks. If you’re purchasing over the Internet, make sure that you can clearly see a readable image of the marks and verify these separately before parting with cash.
Be wary of an object sold as ‘unmarked silver’ if it is European. Such objects do exist but they are rare. More commonly the absence of a recognized national hallmark probably means that it is not silver.
European silver before c1700 is moderately rare. Be aware that some 19th century silversmiths in Germany (Hanau) and Holland specialized in making solid silver pieces of good quality but then giving them false 18th century hallmarks to add age and value.
Spotting these can be a specialist task and you don’t want to be paying 18th prices for a piece of 19th century silver. Be cautious also if the price looks too good to be true.
If you’re purchasing a piece of 800 or 830 grade silver that originated in say Germany, remember that in many countries it may be illegal to re-sell such an item and describe it as ‘silver’ if the minimum legal standard there is 925 Sterling.
Finally, although collection fashions do change, be careful of any antique silver that has been machine re-polished (this is different to cleaning!) or rhodium coated. Although this gives the piece a brilliant luminescence, it can seriously reduce their collection value. Treat repairs and restorations with the same caution from a value-retention perspective.
US Antique Silver
Space doesn’t permit a full discussion here of all countries’ marks but it is worth stating that the USA has never adopted a hallmarking system. In fact, prior to 1906 US law did not control the use of the stamp ‘925’ or ‘Sterling’ on objects.
This historical absence of formal controls may sometimes lead to today’s collectors outside of the USA being cautious with 19th century US items marked ‘Sterling’ unless they are accompanied by a known maker’s mark.
Summary
Buying, using and collecting antique silver can be a joy. Just a little effort invested in learning a bit more of the basics ‘up-front’ should ensure that you massively reduce your risks of buying something that, although it may look good, isn’t in fact silver!
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