To create the silver plate a layer of base metal was placed between a top and bottom layer of pure silver.

The metals were wrought or rolled until the two metals were bonded. Thus the base metal was 'plated' and could then be used for manufacturing.

Electroplating was invented in 1805 and began to become popular in 1840s.

Electroplating is an electrolytic process whereby molecules of silver are deposited onto the surfaces of a sheet of base metal until the desired coating or thickness is achieved. This technique is very fast and requires very little labour and by 1860 nearly all the plating was done this way.

This new process of plating silver made the production of silver plate in Sheffield manner outdated and expensive. The craftsmanship of the Sheffield plate had become recognized so today Sheffield plate is prized by collectors due to its superior hand-wrought quality and antique value.

There are several different quality grades of electroplate/silver plate. These are based on the thickness of the plating resulting from the amount of silver used.

They are often spotted at car boots, auctions and antique fairs. However the silver content is very low so there is no real precious metal value to it.

Is silver plate valuable?

On the plus side the craftsmanship, design and rarity of some of these beautifully made objects has seen their value rise to a great degree and with museums and collections specialising in this form of silverware it is likely to continue.

Do you have a hallmarks guide?

Hallmarks are the key to valuing silver and gold and if you have ever struggled to identify a hallmark – and let’s face it even experts cannot remember all of them, then you need portable expert information at your fingertips.

Understanding Gold and Silver Hallmarks is a complete guide to British hallmarks and assay marks that can be downloaded straight to your computer, i phone and mobile device for only £2.99

This e book includes all marks from 1678 right up until the present day and also contains a section on international marks.

It is available in PDF format making it suitable for both computer, i phone, i pod touch and almost any mobile device that will read these industry wide standard formats.

No need to learn or memorise the hallmarks, just keep the guide handy and check the details before you buy or sell.

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What is silver plate?