Hello silver enthusiasts/experts! I inherited this footed silver bowl - stands about 4" tall.
This is my first time on this forum so I’m not sure if the photos are visible. I expected to see a thumbnail but I just see text. Well, fingers crossed. Thank you for any help you can offer!
Unfortunately your bowl is not solid silver. The 4 Old English style letters on the right of the mark are EPNS which stand for electroplated nickel silver. The bowl has a microscopically thin layer of pure silver on nickel silver which is a white metal alloy containing no silver whatsoever. HW / Ltd is the manaufacturer’s mark and is that of Henry Wilkinson & Co Ltd, a Sheffield company.
Your bowl may have been a sugar bowl from a tea service. It probably dates from the late 19th century and may have originally had a decorative glass liner. To clean it you can use a silver polish but remember that the silver layer is very thin so treat it gently.
Phil
Dear Phil, I am truly grateful for the time you devoted to answering my post so thoroughly. This is really helpful and so interesting! I appreciate the info and now know that if I choose to polish it up that I have to do it with a super light touch. Thank you very much! Dianne
