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Antique silver sale and auctions in the
Antique Web!
Antique Silver
by Sarah Manners
The History of Silver
Century's ago when silversmiths first
started working with silver they discovered
that it was far too soft to work with and
had to be assimilated with other, more
resilient, base metals before it could be
molded. It is due to this discovery that
from 1300 BC all silver metals had to be
tested to show that they contained more than
92.5% silver.
This hallmarking system has survived to
present day without much change. It is these
hallmarks that provide silver collectors
with their most important identification
tool. Hallmarks are stamped by the Official
Assay Offices, together with the marker's
own mark, so you can identify where, when
and who made the pieces of silver. You can
also learn to tell if the style of the piece
is consistent with the date indicated by its
markings. Although this hallmarking system
of marking was most rigorously applied in
England, most countries have some form of
identifying marking system. For example
Mexico use numbers that signify the quality
of a piece.
Antique Appreciation
An antique is described as being an object
which has reached a certain age and has
become a witness of a previous era in human
society. Antiques are usually objects that
show a high degree of craftsmanship and
attention to detail and design. In a today's
society an antique is above all an object
whose atypical construction and age give it
a market value superior to similar objects
of recent manufacture. Silver is a valuable
commodity amongst those on the antique scene
and despite changing fashions, old silver
pieces remain collectable.
Antique collecting is becoming more popular
amongst society as a whole, where as in the
past collecting was thought to be a hobby
enjoyed only by those who enjoyed wealth and
a certain social standing. More and more
people are becoming educated in antiques and
are beginning to see pieces of value in
their own homes. Television programming such
as BBC's "Cash in the attic", "Antiques road
show" and "Bargain Hunt" have done wonders
in educating society about all things
antique.
Researching Antique Silver
Determining whether your items of silver are
valuable or not is not as hard as it may
sound, you could have it professionally
appraised or you could take the time to do
some research at your local library or on
the Internet. There are a number of facts
that make your research easier, particularly
the official hallmark and the stamp
indicating the craftsman's name. They
immediately disclose the item in which the
item was made and by whom. There are a few
key items of information that will make your
research easier: what is the marker's mark,
the decade in which the item was crafted and
so on. There are many websites dedicated to
antique silver online and you could even
enter into a web discussion with its members
who may be able to offer you some valuable
information about your silver collection.
Silver Plating
Silver plated articles also have
considerable antiquarian value. Good pieces
can have up to 40 microns of pure silver
electro-plated onto a base metal, usually
copper or nickel. Years of abrasive cleaning
may often have worn away some of the silver
plating, but this is looked upon as proof of
age and such items should not be re-plated
or they will lose considerable value. Silver
service cutlery is all silver plated, with
traditional patterns like Kings or Queens
being very collectable. Whilst silver plated
pieces have obviously less value than solid
silver, they are often much sort after by
collectors.
Silver Collectors
Some silver collectors devote their
attention to a specific pattern while others
collect a particular maker, era or item. The
silver you chose to collect does not need to
adhere to any of these specifications -
don't be afraid to mix and match. When
purchasing silver, signs of use do not
always detract from value and damage may or
may not. In fact slight damage on a rare
piece will not significantly reduce value,
if at all. Be wary of buying tarnished
pieces as it can easily be hiding wear,
damage or repair. Ask yourself why someone
selling such items has not cleaned them to
show them at their best. So inspect
tarnished items with particular care. Having
a monogram on an item will often detract
from its price. This is much more common on
silver plated rather than solid silver
pieces. Sometimes attempts have been made to
remove monograms, damaging them as well as
lowering their value. Make sure that you are
educated enough to be able to spot repairs
that have been made to items as well as
forgeries that do crop up at less reputable
markets or websites.
cont.
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