TL;DR A British silver hallmark has four parts: the standard mark gives purity (a lion passant for sterling, Britannia for 95.83%), the town mark names the assay office, the date letter gives the year of assay, and the maker's mark names the factory. A 925 stamp means 92.5% silver. Tarnish is silver sulfide, and gentle cleaning removes it.
Silver hallmarks answer four questions about a piece: how pure the metal is, where it was tested, when it was tested and which factory made it. Read them in that order, because the town mark decides which date-letter table applies. The answers below cover hallmarks first, then magnet tests, how silverware is made, the 925 mark, tarnish, cleaning, five sought-after sterling flatware patterns and the history of silverware.
How do you read a silver hallmark?
A silver hallmark is read as four marks. The standard mark shows the item is silver and its purity, the town mark names the assay office, the date letter gives the year of assay, and the maker's mark identifies the factory. Read the town mark before the date letter, because each assay office used its own letters.
Standard mark
The standard mark identifies an item as silver. Sterling silver carries the lion passant, which has two historical forms. The older lion passant guardant shows the lion's head facing the viewer. The modern lion passant, with the lion's head facing to the left, was introduced in 1822.
Some items carry the figure of Britannia instead of the lion passant. Britannia marks silver of 95.83% purity.
Town mark
Each assay office has its own distinct mark, known as the town mark. An assay office tests items for purity and stamps them as sterling if they meet the requirements. London's town mark is the leopard's head.
Date letter
A common misconception is that the date letter gives the year a silver item was made. It gives the year the item was assayed. Date letters were also used to identify the Touch Warden responsible for the assaying.
Reading date letters takes a pocket hallmark guide or an online guide such as the British silver date letter tables . Different assay offices used different date letters, and the shapes of the shields and the style of the script vary from office to office and from year to year, so observe these marks carefully.
Maker's mark
The maker's mark identifies the factory where an item was made, not the individual who made it. Before 1697 makers used initials or devices. From 1697 they had to use the first two letters of their surname, and in 1739 a statute required new marks made of initials, the form used since. The silver hallmarks identification chart lists marks by number, symbol and country.
Can a magnet tell you if silverware is real silver?
A magnet can rule silver out, but it cannot prove an item is silver. Silver is not magnetic, so a fork or spoon that a magnet pulls is not solid silver. A piece the magnet ignores may still be silver plate over brass or copper, which are not magnetic either, so check for a sterling or 925 mark too.
How is silverware made?
Silverware, also known as flatware, is typically made from stainless steel or silver, and sometimes from other metals such as gold or bronze. Makers melt the metal into ingots, forge the ingots into sheets or rods, cut rough shapes, stamp each shape with a die and press, polish it, plate it if needed and inspect it.
- Melting: the raw metal is melted in a furnace and poured into molds to create ingots.
- Forging: the ingots are heated and hammered into flat sheets or rods.
- Cutting: the sheets or rods are cut into smaller pieces, the rough shapes of the silverware pieces.
- Stamping: a die and a press stamp the rough shapes into their final shape.
- Polishing: polishing removes surface imperfections and gives the pieces a smooth, shiny finish.
- Plating (if applicable): for silver-plated flatware, electroplating adds a layer of silver to the surface.
- Final inspection: the finished pieces are inspected for quality and touched up where needed before they are packaged and shipped to customers.
What does the 925 mark on silver mean?
The 925 mark means an item is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. Silver jewelry and silverware use the 925 standard because pure silver is too soft for everyday use, and the added metal gives it strength. A 925 stamp marks the item as sterling quality with a set silver content.
Why does silver tarnish?
Silver tarnishes because it reacts with sulfur compounds in the air and forms a thin layer of silver sulfide on the surface. Silver sulfide is a black or dark grey material that dulls the metal. The reaction runs faster in humid or polluted air, and exposure to light, heat and moisture speeds it up.
Other factors, such as acidic air or certain chemicals, also contribute to tarnish. To keep it down, store silver in a cool, dry place away from sources of sulfur and other contaminants. Regular cleaning and polishing prevent tarnish from forming and restore the shine to tarnished silver.
How do you clean silver at home?
Clean silver with one of three methods: warm soapy water, a baking soda and aluminum foil bath, or a silver polish. Whichever method you choose, handle the silver gently, avoid abrasive materials that scratch the surface, and remove tarnish early, before it gets harder to clean.
- Soap and water: clean the silver with a soft cloth dipped in warm soapy water, then rinse and dry it with a soft cloth.
- Baking soda and aluminum foil: line a bowl with aluminum foil and place the silver in it, then add boiling water, a tablespoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of salt. After a few minutes, remove the silver and rinse it with water.
- Silver polish: apply silver polish to a soft cloth and rub the silver gently, following the instructions on the label.
Which sterling silver flatware patterns are most sought after?
Five sterling silver flatware patterns rank among the most valuable and sought after: Grande Baroque by Wallace (1941), Repoussé by Kirk (1828), Francis 1st by Reed & Barton (1906), Eloquence by Lunt (1953) and King Richard by Towle (1932). Each pattern below comes with the history and design details that identify it.
1. Grande Baroque by Wallace
Wallace Silversmiths produces the Grande Baroque sterling silver flatware pattern, which William S. Warren created in 1941. Warren spent four years developing and perfecting it, with the mission that the design should "reflect the very essence of merriment and adventure, of artistic progress."
Warren first meant Grande Baroque as a flatware pattern only; hollowware was added to the line later. As demand grew, Wallace introduced a Golden Grande Baroque. Besides the traditional place settings in lunch, dinner and continental sizes, the pattern now has over a hundred flatware pieces.
2. Repoussé by Kirk
Repoussé is a pattern of Samuel Kirk & Son of Baltimore, dated to 1828. Samuel Kirk is credited with bringing chased floral repoussé decoration to American silver, a style now often called "Baltimore silver." In 1979 the Stieff Company bought S. Kirk & Son and renamed itself Kirk Stieff, so later pieces carry the Kirk Stieff name.
The pattern features an intricate floral design along the entire stem and handle. It is named after repoussé, the silversmithing technique of raising a design by hammering the metal from the back.
3. Francis 1st by Reed & Barton
Francis 1st is an American sterling silver tableware pattern that Reed & Barton introduced in 1906. Ernest Meyer, a French silversmith, designed it and named it after King Francis I of France. Meyer's goal was to surpass the Renaissance-Baroque metalwork of Benvenuto Cellini, a court artist and sculptor to Francis I, who took the French throne in 1515.
The design identifies the pattern. Francis 1st has fifteen different fruit-and-flower clusters, and each handle carries one of them. The original backstamp featured a lion, an eagle and the letter "R"; around 1950 a new backstamp reading "Reed and Barton" replaced it.
4. Eloquence by Lunt
Lunt Silversmiths debuted Eloquence in 1953, and it is considered a flagship pattern for Lunt. Its ornate handles are pierced in four places, which isolates the plain center and makes it stand out.
Lunt sterling, known for elegant pattern design and craftsmanship, has been part of the Lunt family heritage in Greenfield, Massachusetts, since the early 1900s. In 1902 the Rogers, Lunt & Bowlen Company took over A.F. Towle Co., whose original sterling patterns dating back to 1883 became part of Lunt sterling flatware. In 1935 the company changed its name to Lunt Silversmiths.
5. King Richard by Towle
Towle developed the sterling King Richard pattern in 1932. Its design takes its inspiration from the shields carried by knights in the Crusades, and the pattern is named after the famous Crusader king Richard the Lion-Hearted.
A King Richard piece has a pointed oval top and a richly ornamented shield in the center of the handle. The handle takes so much time to model that it looks more deeply and finely carved than any comparable pattern.
When was silverware first used?
Silverware dates back to ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who used silver for utensils and tableware as a symbol of wealth and status. Silverware became common in the late 17th century, during the reign of King Louis XIV of France, when silver was more readily available and more affordable.
The French court set the trend for silver utensils at formal meals, and from there silverware spread throughout Europe and eventually to the rest of the world. Silverware is now common in many households, although it is often made from stainless steel or other metals rather than pure silver.
Key takeaways
- A British silver hallmark has four parts: standard mark, town mark, date letter and maker's mark. Identify the town mark before reading the date letter.
- The lion passant marks sterling silver and Britannia marks 95.83% silver. The modern lion passant, head facing left, was introduced in 1822.
- The date letter gives the year an item was assayed, not the year it was made.
- A magnet only rules silver out: solid silver is not magnetic, and neither is silver plate over brass or copper.
- 925 means 92.5% silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper, added because pure silver is too soft.
- Tarnish is silver sulfide formed by sulfur in the air; cool, dry storage and regular gentle cleaning keep it down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the date letter show when silver was made?
No. The date letter shows the year an item was assayed, meaning tested for purity and marked, which can differ from the year it was made. Each assay office used its own date letters, shield shapes and script styles, so identify the town mark first and then read the date letter in that office's table.
What does the Britannia mark on silver mean?
The Britannia mark is a standard mark for silver of 95.83% purity, higher than the 92.5% of sterling. It appears on British silver in place of the lion passant, so a piece stamped with the figure of Britannia rather than the lion is Britannia standard silver, not sterling.
What is the leopard's head mark on silver?
The leopard's head is the town mark of the London assay office. Each assay office stamps its own town mark to show where an item was tested for purity. A leopard's head therefore means the piece was assayed in London, and its date letter must be read in the London table.
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