Silver hallmarks: how to read them
The tiny symbols stamped on silver tell you its purity, where it was tested, who made it and often the exact year. Photograph them close up and the AI helps you read them.
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The four traditional British marks
Standard mark. The lion passant (a walking lion) means sterling silver, 92.5% pure. Britannia standard (95.8%) has a seated Britannia figure. Modern pieces may also show the number 925.
Assay office mark. Where the silver was tested: the leopard's head for London, the anchor for Birmingham, the crown (later the rose) for Sheffield, the castle for Edinburgh.
Date letter. A letter in a shaped shield that changes every year. Combined with the assay office it often dates a piece to the exact year.
Maker's mark. The initials of the silversmith or company. Famous makers can multiply the value well beyond the weight of the metal.
Solid silver or plated?
Marks such as EPNS (electroplated nickel silver), EP, «A1», «plate» or «nickel silver» mean the piece is plated, not solid. Plated pieces often imitate hallmarks with small symbols in a row — the shapes look similar, but there is no lion and no date letter.
Continental and other silver
Elsewhere purity is often stamped as a number: 800, 835, 900, 925. Foreign silver imported into the UK may carry British import marks as well.
How to photograph the marks
Look on the base, the back of handles or near the rim. Shoot very close with side light so the relief shows, plus one photo of the whole piece.
What decides the price
For everyday pieces — weight and purity, the value of the metal. For antique pieces by good makers or with fine work the price can far exceed the metal value. Value it before you sell it for scrap.
Guides
- Identify porcelain marks from a photo
- Which antique china is worth money
- Lladró or Nao: how to tell them apart
- Where to sell antiques in the UK
- Valuing inherited items
Frequently asked questions
What does 925 mean on silver?
That the piece contains 925 parts per thousand of pure silver: it is sterling silver.
Should I sell my silver for scrap?
Only if it is ordinary and damaged. Antique or maker-marked pieces are usually worth more as objects than as metal.
Is EPNS worth anything?
Usually little as metal, but some decorative plated pieces and well-known makers still sell.