All About Antiques

Silver date letters are specific alphabetic characters stamped on British and some international silver to indicate the year of manufacture. To read them, identify the assay office mark (e.g., a leopard’s head for London) and match the accompanying letter’s font, case, and shield shape to a reliable hallmark chart. A specific letter like “A” cycles…

Silver purity marks indicate the fineness of the metal, with 925 representing sterling silver (92.5% pure), the standard for US and British silverware. 800 and 835 denote lower-grade “coin silver” commonly found in German and Italian antiques, while 950 indicates high-purity silver often seen in French Britannia standards. These impressed numbers act as a guarantee…

Authentic Gorham silver is identified by the standard Lion, Anchor, and G trademark found on the underside of sterling pieces. Items manufactured between 1868 and 1884 bear a capital letter date code (A-Q), while pieces from 1885 to 1933 feature specific year symbols, such as a wolf or an anchor. Always verify the “Sterling” stamp…

Authentic American silver can be identified by locating specific maker’s trademarks (like Gorham’s lion-anchor-G or Tiffany & Co.’s strict block lettering) and verifying the metal purity stamp. Unlike British silver, which uses a date letter system, American pieces typically feature the word STERLING or the number 925 (for 92.5% purity) stamped directly on the base…

925 on silver means sterling: 92.5% pure silver. See what S925 and 925 AG mean, what 925 is worth per gram, and whether it can get wet or turn green.

Silver hallmarks explained: how to read and decode purity marks, maker’s marks, date letters, and town marks on any piece.

How to identify antique silver, step by step: hallmarks, maker’s marks, construction clues, and dating. A complete beginner’s guide.