This piece is driving me crazy. It is marked Forbes Silver Company and I know they made silverplate. Is it possible they made some sterling pieces too. This piece does not say it is plated and it had an odd part number which is 4206 / S. A friend tested the piece by making a cut on the foot and tested it with acid. He said it tested as solid silver. Also magnets do not stick to the piece. Could the s after the part number indicate that this is silver? I believe the pattern is Victorian. Any help would’ be appreciated.
Barb and Jim
Hi and thanks for joining us. Forbes was founded in 1894 as a division of the Meriden Brittannia Co. of Meriden, CT and only made silverplated holloware. It was one of the original companies that combined to form the Internartioanl Silver Co. in 1898.
Forbes never made sterling goods. I have a couple of odd silver plated pieces with solid sterling feet (not Forbes), but they are clearly marked as such. Rule of thumb: American silver without the word “sterling” is plated. The number is the pattern number.
Regards,
Uncle Vic
I too have a silver cocktail shaker with the Forbes markings “rosette 430 s” It has been tested several ways and everyone says that it is NOT silver plate but a silver alloy of an unknown silver content, not necessarily sterling. Just holding on to it anyway. Any additional info would be helpful. Thanks