Hello all,
I am a huge fan of silver and refine it and gold. I recently made a purchase of these two items, and have mixed reading about what they are. Some say it is Britannia and some say Sterling.
I was wondering, if anyone had some time to have a look at these marks and help me identify what exactly i have here please.
I am most appreciative of any education and all responses.
CHEERS!!
The “crown, lion passant, and u” is Sheffield sterling, 1912. CB&S is Cooper Brothers & Sons Ltd. (images numbered 1, 2, 8, and 14). This information is all available online, in an easy-to-use format.
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/Sheffield/Date%20Letters%20U.html
https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/Sheffield-C.html
The others (anything that isn’t CB&S) are something else. Not U.K. sterling, in any case.
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And the non-sterling item is probably silver plate, not Britannia metal (pewter). Pewter objects are usually clearly labeled “English pewter,” “Britannia,” or “EPBM.” Only very early pieces seem to wander into pseudo-hallmarks.
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That doesnt sound too good… I really appreciate the education. I am forever grateful.
There’s nothing wrong with Sheffield sterling!
The hallmarks on the other piece look familiar, but I can’t place it at the moment. Maybe it will ring a bell with someone else.
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The one that has all the numbers on it i went against my better judgement and decided to buy it anyway. I figured something wasnt right about it but went for it anyway like a moron. The other pieces id say is great! But that one not so much.
A-ha! The piece with the lion-passant facing right is Dutch, and it indicates purity of at least .833. The next symbol is Minerva. The date letter indicates 1978.
Knew I had seen it somewhere!
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I believe the piece that has just numbers on it is an example of that great rarity, “shiny metal.” 
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The man said the numbers are the flatware ID for the chocolate pot. If that makes any sense? That 833 is an issue as well considering i bought it at sterling price.
Well, the .833 is a minimum, and sterling is .925, so it’s in the ballpark. It’s not like 14k gold, which is only barely majority gold (it’s .583). The only way to know for sure would be to have it assayed, which would probably cost more than it’s worth. And at least it’s not plate, which is usually worth very little.
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This is absolutely true!
When the items arrive, ill take some new pictures and send them just to be clear it all adds up.