Sterling silver, Georgian candlesticks, Victorian cutlery canteens, silver trophies, silver plate by Elkington or Walker & Hall. Working or damaged. Complete sets or individual pieces. Every item assessed on its own merits — hallmarks read, maker identified, collector value and melt value both considered.
Inherited silver is often undervalued or assumed to be worthless because of confusion between sterling and plate. We explain the difference and what yours is actually worth. Free insured postage. Written valuation per piece. Paid in 72 hours.
The single most common question we receive about silver is: "How do I know if this is real silver or just silver plate?" The answer lies in the hallmarks — or their absence.
UK sterling silver has been hallmarked since 1300. Every piece assayed and passed carries a set of official stamps pressed into the metal itself. Learn to read them, and you can identify a piece's metal standard, where it was tested, when it was made, and who made it — all without any specialist equipment.
A walking lion, facing left. This is the most important mark: it certifies the piece is sterling silver (925 parts per thousand, or 92.5% pure silver). If your piece has a lion passant, it is genuine sterling. Present on English silver since 1544.
Confirms which assay office tested the piece. London: leopard's head. Birmingham: anchor. Sheffield: crown (pre-1975) or York rose (post-1975). Edinburgh: castle. Dublin: harp. Each office maintained slightly different styles of cartouche and date letter series.
A letter of the alphabet, changed annually, in a cartouche whose shape and font also changed. Combined with the assay office, a date letter uniquely identifies the year of hallmarking. Complete date letter tables are published — we cross-reference them for every piece we assess.
Registered initials or symbol of the silversmith or retailer who submitted the piece. Paul Storr, Hester Bateman, Paul de Lamerie, Omar Ramsden — a named maker's mark significantly increases value above the melt price. We identify maker's marks as part of every assessment.
We buy sterling silver, Old Sheffield Plate, quality EPNS, and silver coins across a wide range of categories:
Sterling silver contains 92.5% pure silver. At current spot prices (updated daily), a kilogram of sterling silver is worth several hundred pounds in melt value alone. A Victorian sterling silver teapot weighing 500g has a melt floor of around £150–£200 before any collector premium.
Silver plate — whether EPNS, EP, or Old Sheffield Plate — contains no recoverable silver in quantity. Its value is purely decorative and collector-driven. A high-quality Elkington EPNS tea service in excellent condition may still be worth £80–£200 as a decorative piece. An anonymous EPNS tea service in poor condition is worth very little.
Old Sheffield Plate occupies a special position: made before 1840 by fusing a thin layer of silver onto copper before rolling, rather than by electroplating, it is technically silver-plated but is actively collected. Good examples with full maker's marks, fine engraving, and original condition can exceed the melt value of comparable sterling pieces.
We assess every piece on both dimensions — metal content and collector interest — and explain in writing which drives the offer.
Certain maker's marks transform the value of an otherwise ordinary piece. Paul Storr (London, c.1793–1838) is the most celebrated English silversmith; his pieces carry premiums of thousands of pounds above melt. Hester Bateman (London, 1761–1790) — the first major female silversmith — is actively collected. Paul de Lamerie (London, 1703–1751) is among the most sought-after of all.
Less famous but still valuable: Omar Ramsden (Arts and Crafts movement), Charles Robert Ashbee, William Comyns, Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Company. Provincial silversmiths — Matthew Boulton in Birmingham, John Parsons in Sheffield — are often overlooked by sellers but recognised by specialist buyers.
We cross-reference maker's marks against published registers for every piece we assess. If your piece has a mark we can identify, you will know who made it and what that means for value.
Tell us roughly what you have — "a canteen of cutlery and some Victorian teaware" is enough. We send a free prepaid, tracked and insured label by return.
Wrap pieces individually in tissue and bubble wrap. Newspaper can leave marks on silver, so avoid it. Pack in a sturdy box. Your parcel is insured to £5,000 from the moment the courier scans it.
We email your parcel code and broadcast time. Your items are opened publicly on camera before any specialist touches them — full transparency, on the record.
Every piece assessed individually. Hallmarks read. Maker's marks identified. Accept what you want to sell. Return the rest free. Payment within 72 hours — or we add 3%.
If your question isn't here, call us on 01234 815116 or email support@fairvintage.co.uk. We respond within one working day.
Get your free pack →Sterling silver carries a hallmark — in the UK, look for the lion passant (a walking lion, denoting sterling), the assay office mark (anchor for Birmingham, leopard's head for London, crown for Sheffield), the date letter, and the maker's mark. Silver plate usually carries marks such as EPNS, EP, A1, or Sheffield Plate. If you're unsure, email us a photograph and we'll identify it.
Rarely for its metal content — but certain silver plate has collector value. Old Sheffield Plate (pre-1840), quality Victorian EPNS by named makers such as Elkington, Walker & Hall, or Mappin & Webb, and decorative pieces with fine craftsmanship can have real value. We assess each piece individually.
Yes. Incomplete canteens are common in estates. We assess the pieces you have — pattern identification, maker's mark, date, condition — and offer on what's there. Certain rare patterns by renowned silversmiths have collector value even in incomplete sets.
No. Do not polish before sending — polishing can remove patina that adds to value on antique pieces, and on some engraved or chased pieces it can cause irreversible damage. Send it as-is. We assess silver in its received condition and this does not affect the offer.
Send us what you have. Every piece is assessed individually — hallmarks read, maker's marks identified, date confirmed, condition recorded. You receive a written itemised valuation. No obligation to sell anything you don't want to.
Within 72 hours of your parcel going live on YouTube — guaranteed. If we miss that window, we add 3% to your total.
Request your free pack today. Our specialists will read every hallmark, identify every maker's mark, open your parcel live on YouTube, and pay within 72 hours.