Hello there.
We’ve been gifted some beautiful cutlery, but I don’t know anything about it. Will the hallmark tell me if it’s silver? As you can see, it’s quite badly tarnished, so I’m hoping to learn how to look after it properly.
The spoon seems to be some kind of commemorative piece, and the other three are from a set I think. I think the spoon is just electro plated and from Walker and Hall - am I right?
I really appreciate your time and help.
English electroplate silver: marks and hallmarks of British silver plate: Pa-Pg William Page
Everything served on a plate - just read…
It’s always fun to get family items and try and trace them back to their owners and creators.
Except for the fork which is fiddle pattern, you have been given some old English style silver plate from the last century or earlier. Bart has provided you with the reference pages if you want to look up exact dates
The makers are excellent and the plate is AI quality which means you can go down to your hardware store and buy a bottle of “Silvo” and give them a good polish without worrying you will take the micron-thin silver plate down to the nickel silver or brass below.
Having cleaned them up then you can use them if you choose. Ordinary use and washing on a regular basis will retain the “butler’s polish” almost indefinitely or until you use one of them to eat egg or anything else containing sulphurs..
Don’t stick them in the dishwasher, this is abrasive and will strip them down to brass within a year of regular use.
You didn’t say how much you have, but I am presuming a service. Picking up odd pieces to replace lost or damaged items can be done fairly economically.
But be clear you are not collecting silver you are collecting base metal with a thin coating of pure silver on it.
Hope this helps a little,
CRWW
Hi there
Thanks for getting back to me with this information. I’m happy I’ll be able to use the cutlery, not just put it away in a box! And thanks for the warning! I had no idea about the dangers of egg!!
Kind regards
Lou
May I add salt to you list of things “don’t leave your silver spoons immersed in”.
Salt spoons were an unfortunate invention of late Georgian silversmiths whose patrons wanted their table guests to stop sticking their meat in the cauldron salts then provided at each setting and instead scoop the salt out onto the plate. All quite absurd and a habit which ended when someone discovered putting iodine in the salt meant you could stick it in shakers.
By the way, you have two fish knives not butter knives although that’swhat they get used for.
CRWW
Thank you for the historical info crazy that we use these things every day with no idea of their origins!
Ha ha, well a good butter knife always comes in handy
