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Basics with Silver Plate sterling lion, which represents a standard of Back to basics with silver plate 925 parts of pure silver in 1000 parts, has been the guarantee of this level of assayed purity getting on for 500 years except for a period by Peter Cheetham from about 1697 to 1720 when the Britannia standard consisting of 958 in a 1000 parts of Peter Cheetham has a B.A. Hons. degree in Fine Art Valuation Studies, silver was introduced and then abandoned. If lectures at the Further Education Department of Southampton City therefore there is no sterling lion or Britannia Council and runs an antiques and collectables shop in the New Forest mark on an item it cannot be described as silver in this country. Such items have to be described under the generic umbrella term of Some of the semantics in the study of the solution. The current, passing between the ‘white metal’. silver can be extremely confusing. For poles carries minute particles of the silver and Having decided that an item is silver plate example the Spanish for silver is ‘plata’, and coats the copper or nickel. This process can be it is necessary to find out which manufacturing so all silver became known as plate. Even now recreated with a car battery and an old fish method was used and this should also give us when referring to silver in general, the trade tank. The longer the duration of the ‘dip’, the some idea of age. In addition it is helpful to refers to it as plate, whereas in normal usage, thicker the layer of silver deposited. Better know that manufacturers of Sheffield plate ‘plate’ would refer to electroplated items. This quality pieces were dipped for longer periods marked their wares with their initials between becomes very important when trying to differ- and may be marked ‘double’ or ‘triple’ plate. c1750-1785, which closely followed the entiate between the other forms of metal ware Hotel wares were often treated in this way to practice of the London silversmiths. From which are trying to imitate silver, such as fused stand the constant wear. Sectional plating is a 1784 makers of Sheffield plate were permitted or close plate, Sheffield plate and electroplate. term that refers to the practice of applying by law to use an emblem or device with their Sheffield plate was invented in 1742 by thicker layers to parts such as feet and handles, names. By the early nineteenth century the Thomas Bolsover in Sheffield and was a which were prone to wear. emblem may be found alone, a custom which process of fusing copper and silver, which was fairly general during that period. made a cheaper alternative and which would Manufacturers of Sheffield plate often used in therefore reach a wider market. The individu- addition, the ‘crown’ mark. This was opposed ality of the manufacturer was brought to bear by the Sheffield Assay Office, whose mark in the marking system, which abounds in a riot was also a crown. This opposition resulted in of birds, beasts, tools, keys and even musical Fused or Close Plating. Was the only way the crown mark, as used on silver plate being instruments. Some of the logos are easily to apply a coating of silver to steel. The made illegal in 1896. See the March/April decipherable, such as the clutch of arrows, surface of the steel was tinned and a silver foil edition for full details on the assay office (Sheffield’s coat of arms), but why would was fused to the tin by heat. Unfortunately the marks on English silver. George Bott Dunn have an orb with a smiley silver was inclined to blister allowing damp to Reproductions of old Sheffield plate are face? It is very difficult to find a definitive corrode the steel, which caused a blister/rust common. They were made from electro-plated book on the marks of silver plate. There are domino effect, ruining the item. copper. When worn they have a red glow. lots of books with a few marks but I await with Before the Trades Descriptions Act many Reproductions can be spotted by their border bated breath a Jackson’s or a Bradbury’s on the alloys could include the word silver. Copper, mounts, feet and handles, which are cast in subject. nickel and zinc, (nickel silver) were used in copper or brass before plating. On genuine Europe to make ‘German Silver’ and in plate the handles etc. were wrought. Cast eighteenth century China to make ‘Paktong’, components were never used on genuine heat- which is a very similar alloy. In this country fused plate, except for border mounts which we gave it several ambiguous names, when cast were cast in solid silver. ‘Empress Silver’, ‘Duchess Silver’, ‘Potosi In the manufacture of Sheffield plate a Silver’, ‘Adoration Silver’, ‘Hero Silver’ and copper sheet was sandwiched between two ‘Nevada Silver’, are some which still cause sheets of silver and the sandwich was confusion to this day, (“...but it says silver on hammered until the desired thickness was it....”). This use of the word ‘silver’ is now achieved. This was then placed in a furnace to illegal. When buying electroplated items a good fuse the metals together giving a sheet of When it comes to the recognition of silver general rule is to check on how many words metal, ostensibly silver, but approximately plate and silver substitutes, rather than trying there are on the reverse. The more words, the one-third copper. The only problem, of course, to identify the marks on the item, it is more more chance it has of being electroplate. For was the edge of the sheet which still showed a important to consider the marks that are example if it says, ‘Made in England’, ‘Patent band of copper. This is why on Sheffield missing! What must be borne in mind is the double’, ‘Patent triple’ or ‘Sheffield made’, it plated pieces, the edge is normally covered by fact that the manufacturers wanted their wares is electroplate. a border mount which is usually gadrooned. to resemble silver as much as possible; they The bulk of silver plated items turn up as This process was made redundant by the didn't want people to look at an item and tableware, the term generally meaning knives, invention of electroplate, commonly known as identify it as either a silver plated item or a forks, spoons and ‘canteen extras’ such as E.P.N.S., that is, electro plated nickel silver. silver substitute. As a consequence marking butter knives, soup ladles, fish servers, etc.). The techniques used in this method of was purposely ambiguous and from time to The word ‘cutlery’ is often erroneously plating a base metal are essentially chemical, time laws were brought in to stop the manufac- applied as a generic term to these items but as opposed to the mechanical practices of turers approximating the silver marks. So how should strictly be used to denote anything with Sheffield plate. George and Frederick can we tell the difference? a cutting edge. This would exclude butter Elkington & Co. of Birmingham issued a Firstly, it is useful to know that because slicers and fish knives, which part but do not patent on electroplating in 1840. Copper or there is a thin layer of silver on the surface of cut the food. These together with spoons and nickel silver items were connected to the silver plated items, a chemical test will forks are more accurately called ‘flatware’ as negative terminal of a battery and suspended indicate silver as you are only testing the opposed to ‘hollow-ware’ which includes in a silver salt solution. A bar of silver is then surface. In addition, as the Editor showed in almost everything else from teapots to toast- connected to the positive terminal and put into the March/April Edition of this journal the racks. ANTIQUES INFO - May/June 01.
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