Skip to content
Purely Silver
  • Home
  • Silver Information
    • Gemstones and Silver
    • Silver Items
      • Bottles
      • Flatware
        • Spoons
      • Jewellery and Watches
      • Sewing Implements and Accessories
        • Pin Cushions
      • Vanity Items
  • Silver Hallmarks
  • Silver Makers
    • Birmingham Silver Makers
    • Chester Silver Makers
    • Edinburgh Silver Makers
    • Exeter Silver Makers
    • London Silver Makers
    • Sheffield Silver Makers
    • International Silver Makers
      • American Silver Makers
      • Canadian
      • Danish Silver Makers
      • German Silver Makers
  • Styles / Periods
  • Subjects in Silver
    • AnimalsGallery and information on animals depicted in silver.
      • Pigs
    • Birds
      • Swans

Silver Information

Silver has been in use since 4000BC and has been used for both practical purposes and ornamental. Not only are there different purposes for silver, but there are also different types.

If an item is marked Sterling, it means that the silver content is at least 92.5% silver. American silver usually has the word Sterling stamped on it whereas British silver may have either the word Sterling or the Lion Passant. Both indicate that the silver is at least 92.5% silver.

Coin silver was used before sterling silver in America. Coin silver is usually 90% silver.

In addition to sterling silver there is Sheffield Plate, Electroplate and German Silver. Sheffield Plate was one of the earliest types of silver plate. Sheffield Plate was copper with a layer of silver on the top and bottom so that the copper does not show. Sheffield Plate is quite collectible as it is quite rare. Sheffield Plate is no longer used as Electroplating took its place. Sheffield Plate is rarely marked and has a blueish tinge to it.

Electroplating is the process which involves taking a base metal, such as copper or brass, and plating it with silver. Electroplated goods are often stamped EPNS but there are some excellent silver makers which carried out these tasks and electroplated items can also be collected according to their makers.

German Silver actually contains no silver at all. German silver is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc.

Home » Silver Information » Page 15
Ebenezer Hall Silver Maker's Mark
Posted inLondon Silver Makers Sheffield Silver Makers Silver Information

Ebenezer Hall

Ebenezer Hall was the son of Gilbert Hall, a lead miner and smallholder. He attended Cromford School where he was recommended to John Roberts by his schoolmaster, William Shaw. When…
Read More
Posted inLondon Silver Makers, Sheffield Silver Makers, Silver Information
Cooper Brothers and Sons Silver Makers Mark CB&S in a shield
Posted inSheffield Silver Makers Silver Information

Cooper Brothers & Sons

Cooper Brothers & Sons were a Sheffield Based Company who produced some good quality silver and silver plate, especially spoons from 1850 to 1964. They entered their first mark  on…
Read More
Posted inSheffield Silver Makers, Silver Information
Atkin Brothers Silver Makers Mark circa 1901. HA in rectangle
Posted inSheffield Silver Makers Silver Information

Atkin Brothers

The Atkin Brothers consisted of Henry, Edward and Frank. They took over their father's, Henry Atkin's Spoon Making Company, on his death. The Atkin Brothers produced a variety of good…
Read More
Posted inSheffield Silver Makers, Silver Information
Alexander Ritchie Maker's Mark
Posted inChester Silver Makers Glasgow Silver Makers Silver Information

Alexander Ritchie

Alexander Ritchie is renown for his Celtic Style Iona Silver items. The earliest items can be found from the 1900's and most bear the double mark of AR IONA. His…
Read More
Posted inChester Silver Makers, Glasgow Silver Makers, Silver Information
Adie & Lovekin Ltd Silver Makers Mark
Posted inBirmingham Silver Makers Silver Information Silver Makers

Adie & Lovekin Ltd

Adie & Lovekin Ltd made unique silver items during the late Victorian and Edwardian Art Nouveau era. They finished trading around the 1920's. Items included button hooks, pin cushions their…
Read More
Posted inBirmingham Silver Makers, Silver Information, Silver Makers
Spanish or South American, 17th century PROCESSIONAL CROSS
Posted inSilver Information

Silver History

Silver History.  Silver was one of the seven metals of antiquity that were known to prehistoric humans and whose discovery is thus lost to history. In particular, the three metals…
Read More
Posted inSilver Information

Posts pagination

Previous page 1 … 13 14 15

“When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission.  Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Google Adsense.”

Copyright 2025 — Purely Silver. All rights reserved.
Scroll to Top

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in .

Purely Silver
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.