Can anyone tell me anything about this bowl? I found while cleaning out an old house. Is it safe to try and clean it? Will it decrease the value if it is cleaned? How do I find out what it might be worth? Thanks in advance for any help.
Yes you can clean it. As a matter of facts you must clean it - it can become shining.
However it is not silver EPNS means that it is Electro Plated Nicel Silver - i.e a small layer of silver on top of a base material.
I dont know who made it. 1894 is a product number not a year.
Thank you for answering some of my questions Hose_dk. Any suggestions on cleaning it? I’ve read some other posts that mentioned warm water and mild soap. Do I have to worry about removing the finish, being that its plated? I’m on a very limited budget and can’t afford anything “special” for cleaning it as of yet.
First of all. We are talking a 20-century item. It can be late 19 century or mid 20. I am not scure. But we talk an item that is (in my terms new)
So you dont have to worry if you destroy anything.
Budget is no problem what so ever. This calls for only 2 things - a polish for silver - in Denmark a botle cost 20 DKK corresponding to 4 USD or less than 2£.
A piece of clothing - use an old shirt or T-shirt made of cotton. The more used (i.e. times it has been washed - the better) that makes it soft and very effective.
You put silver polish on the item - 1/10 or 1/15 part of it at a time. It is important that you clean it in small parts - that is eaysiest. Put silver polish and start polishing. Whenever the piece of cotton becomes black (i.e. dirty) use a new piece. You just wrap the cotton round 1 of your fingers and press - press while mooving the finger as though you would prees your finger through the metal.
The silver plating is not harmed -at least you can polish this 100 or 200 times before the silverplating has been wraped off.
So take a small piece at a time - when watching TV that perfect time spend polishing. You dont have to look at it you just polish.
And man power is all you need.
warm water and soap - on no - this tarnish (i think that is the name of the black) need polish and nothing else.When you have cleaned it - dont forget to post a picture so that people can see the result.
as for the silverplating - we talk 20 or 30 years of polishing before it starts to be warn off - so dont worry.
In case my english is unclear - please write and I will try.
my terms are:
Produced after 1900 - brand new.
1850 to 1900 - fairly old
1800 to 1850 - good old thing
before 1800 - fine antique
but that my point of view.
in fact you dont even need the silver polish - it just make it eaysier. But hard polishing with an old T-shirt of cotten is enough. But polish makes it easy.
Thanks again Hose_dk, I will start polishing it today using your advise. When finished I will definitely post a picture. I also have a couple of other things I plan on posting to see if anyone can help with those as well.
Lawrence B. Smith Co., Boston, Mass. (1887-c.1958).