How to Read Sterling Silver Marks
Almost every piece of estate silver carries its own paperwork stamped into the base. Learning to read those few millimetres of metal tells you the purity, often the maker, and sometimes the exact year. Here is the shorthand we use when a box of flatware comes out of an estate.
Solid silver or silver plate?
Solid silver is silver all the way through and always carries a purity mark. Plate is a thin skin of silver over a base metal, and its marks describe the process rather than the purity. If a piece says anything about plating, it is not sterling.
- STERLING / STER / .925 / 925
- 92.5% silver. The US and modern international standard for solid silver.
- COIN / .900
- 90% silver, common on American pieces made before about 1870.
- 800, 830, 835, 900
- Continental European standards — solid silver, but lower purity than sterling.
- EPNS / EP / A1 / SILVER ON COPPER
- Electroplated nickel silver or copper. Plated, not solid.
- QUADRUPLE PLATE / TRIPLE PLATE
- Victorian plating grades. Decorative value only, no bullion value.
- GERMAN SILVER / NICKEL SILVER / ALPACCA
- Contains no silver at all despite the name.
The four-mark British system
British silver is the easiest to date because assay offices stamped a standard sequence. Read it left to right: the maker's initials, the lion passant (a walking lion) confirming sterling, the town mark, and a date letter whose font and shield shape pin down the year.
A leopard's head is London, an anchor is Birmingham, a crown was Sheffield until 1975, and a castle is Edinburgh. Date letters cycle through the alphabet, so the letter alone is not enough — the shield outline and typeface complete the reading.
American makers and pattern names
American silver rarely carries a date letter. Instead you get the word STERLING plus a maker's mark, and often a pattern name stamped alongside. Gorham used a lion, anchor and G; Tiffany & Co. spelled the name out with a pattern number; Towle, Wallace, Reed & Barton and International Silver all used recognisable logos.
Pattern names matter for value. A single teaspoon in a sought-after discontinued pattern can be worth more than its silver weight to a collector filling a set.
Testing when there is no stamp
Not every genuine piece is marked — early American, small items and heavily polished bases often lost their stamps. Weight and sound come first: sterling feels dense and rings with a long, clear tone when tapped.
A magnet should not stick to solid silver. Green or copper-toned wear at high points is the classic tell of plate wearing through. When it matters, an acid test on an inconspicuous spot or an XRF scan settles it without damaging the piece. We test anything unmarked before it is listed as silver.
Cleaning without destroying value
Use a proper silver cream and a soft cloth, and stop at the marks. Over-polishing rounds hallmarks and erases the soft grey patina in the recesses of chased and repoussé work — collectors pay for that patina, not against it.
Never use dip solutions on plate or on pieces with oxidised detail, and never put silver in a dishwasher. Store in tarnish-resistant cloth away from rubber bands, wool and eggs.
Frequently asked questions
Does 925 always mean sterling silver?
925 means the alloy is 92.5% silver, which is the sterling standard. It is genuine on legitimate pieces, but 925 is also the mark most often faked on modern imports, so pair it with weight, sound and a magnet test on anything unfamiliar.
Is silver plate worth anything?
It has decorative and maker value but no bullion value. Good Victorian and Art Deco plated hollowware from named makers still sells well; anonymous worn plate generally does not.
What does EPNS stand for?
Electro-Plated Nickel Silver — a nickel alloy base with a thin electroplated layer of real silver. It is plate, not sterling.
Should I polish estate silver before selling it?
Light cleaning yes, aggressive polishing no. Removing tarnish helps photographs, but buffing away hallmarks or patina permanently reduces what a collector will pay.
Every listing is photographed, tested and described by hand. Ask us anything before you buy.