TL;DR Read inherited silver by working from the marks on the underside. First determine sterling versus plate, then find the country symbol, the British date letter, and the maker's initials. Solid sterling carries both melt value and collector value, so always identify a piece before selling it.
You inherited silver. Maybe a tea service, a tray, a set of forks. The pieces are sitting in front of you and the only clues are a few tiny stamps on the underside. This guide walks you through what those marks mean, in the order an experienced eye reads them.
Is the piece sterling, plate, or something else?
The single most important question is whether the piece is solid silver or silver-plated base metal. Look for these markers:
- Sterling silver : marked STERLING , 925 , STER , or in British pieces a small lion (the lion passant ).
- Continental silver : numeric marks like 800 , 835 , 900 , 916 . These indicate the parts-per-thousand silver content.
- Silver plate : marks like EPNS (electroplated nickel silver), EPBM (on Britannia metal), A1 , SILVERPLATE , SILVER ON COPPER , or maker names with no purity number.
- Coin silver (mostly American, pre-1870): COIN , PURE COIN , or 900 .
If you only see a maker's name with no number or symbol, assume plate until proven otherwise.
Where was the silver piece made?
Country of origin is usually encoded in a small symbol next to the purity mark:
- England, Scotland, Ireland : a town mark (anchor for Birmingham, leopard's head for London, crown for Sheffield, castle for Edinburgh, harp for Dublin).
- France : Minerva head for sterling-grade silver, crab for export.
- Germany, Austria, Italy : typically a number (800, 835, 900) plus a maker's mark.
- United States : usually just STERLING plus the maker, no town mark.
When was the silver piece made?
British silver carries a date letter : a single character in a shaped shield, unique to a year and assay office. A small g in a Birmingham anchor shield could mean 1881, 1906, or 1931, depending on the typeface and shield shape. The Silver Marks app lets you tap an office and a letter and see every possible year.
American and continental pieces rarely have date letters; you date them by maker, style and patent marks instead.
Who made the silver piece?
The maker's mark is usually a set of initials in a shield. Famous British examples include HH for Hester Bateman or P&S for Paul Storr. American makers (Tiffany, Gorham, Towle, Reed & Barton) usually spell out the name.
What is inherited silver actually worth?
Solid sterling has a melt value (current spot price of silver times the weight times 0.925) and a collector value (style, maker, condition, completeness of a set). Silver plate has almost no melt value but can have decorative or sentimental value, and rare patterns from named makers (Reed & Barton Francis I, Wallace Grand Baroque) command real prices even in plate.
Identify before you sell. A common mistake is melting a marked Georgian piece for spot price when the maker's premium is ten times higher.
Identify any mark in seconds. Silver Marks ships with the full 15,000-mark library and works fully offline. Download free on iPhone, iPad and Mac .
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I tell sterling silver from silver plate?
Sterling is marked STERLING, 925, STER, or a small lion passant on British pieces. Continental solid silver shows numbers like 800, 835, 900 or 916. Plate carries marks such as EPNS, EPBM, A1, SILVERPLATE, or SILVER ON COPPER. A maker's name with no number usually means plate.
How can I tell where my inherited silver was made?
Country is encoded in a small symbol beside the purity mark. British town marks include the anchor for Birmingham, leopard's head for London, crown for Sheffield, castle for Edinburgh, and harp for Dublin. France uses a Minerva head for sterling-grade silver. United States pieces usually show only STERLING plus the maker, with no town mark.
What does the date letter on British silver mean?
British silver carries a single character in a shaped shield that is unique to one year and one assay office. The same letter, such as a small g in a Birmingham anchor shield, can mean different years depending on typeface and shield shape, so it must be matched against the specific office's chart.
Is my inherited silver worth more than its melt value?
Often yes. Solid sterling has a melt value equal to the silver spot price times weight times 0.925, plus a collector value based on style, maker, condition, and completeness. Marked Georgian pieces and named makers can carry a premium many times the melt price, so identify before selling.