Collecting Antique English Silver

Whether you are interested in collecting English silver pieces to furnish your home, to re-sell for profit, or build a collection to pass down to a loved one, the process is the same. You will need to find a place to acquire genuine pieces of English silver, and learn to recognize their specific hallmarks. You will also need to learn to detect a forgery, although there is less forgery in antique English silver pieces than in other types of antiques.

Why is antique English silver a good starting point for beginning an antique collection? English pieces of silver are easier to identify than American pieces. All English pieces are clearly marked with a hallmark. The name hallmark comes from the fact that English silversmiths marked their pieces at a guild hall; this is a practice that has been in place for ever 500 years. These marks were required to prove that a piece was produced by an accredited master silversmith. Hallmarks are clearly forged into the items and usually easy to find. On utensils such as knives, forks, and spoons, the hallmark is almost always on the back of their handle. Other pieces such as platters and tureens are marked on the rim or underneath the piece.

There are many types and styles of hallmarks, depending on the era, and where the piece was produced. You should become familiar with the different ones, and choose a particular era to specialize in. This way the hallmark will become instantly recognizable to you. If you have any doubts about the hallmark being genuine, breathe on it. Moisture will show up an outline of the spoon or other utensil that was pressed onto the piece to create a fake hallmark. A genuine hallmark will have no outline or framing around the hallmark itself. This is rarely a necessity as fakes are usually of such inferior quality that you will be able to tell the difference simply by handling the piece.

You may find pieces of English silver for sale that have been repaired at some point. Skillfully done repairs do not usually affect the pieces value or collectability. Many pieces will have required some repair, especially if the piece was used everyday. Repairs that were done by an unskilled person, such as globs of solder holding a handle on a teapot or obscuring details of the pieces craftsmanship, do greatly reduce the value of the piece and should be avoided. Quality repairs can add character to some silver items if done with the same skill and artistic flair as the original casting.

So where can you find treasures to collect? The best place to start is an antique shop that you trust, preferably one that has been in the same location for a number of years. Once the owner(s) get to know you and what you are collecting, various pieces will be presented to you that may not be on display. When you yourself become knowledgeable with recognizing high quality antique silver, then it's time to head to the flea markets and estate sales.

When attending an estate sale, be sure to arrive early enough to preview the pieces for sale. You want to have plenty of time to examine any item you may be interested in, in detail. Arriving at the sale late, and bidding on a piece that you have not held in your hand is a bad (and sometimes costly) mistake.

Flea markets are an excellent choice for collectors of English silver. Many markets specialize in antiques, and they are always your best bet. For example, The Golden Nugget Flea Market in Lambertville, New Jersey has acres of antiques. No one is allowed to sell new merchandise or used household goods there. Yard sales in better neighborhoods are another good choice. But none of these choices is ever a good place to let your guard down. If you do, you will go home with junque.

Do not eliminate other sales venues out of hand. Thrift stores have been known to have amazing finds tossed in a bin with Tupperware and dime store utensils. Thrift shops and second hand stores that benefit a particular charity are an excellent choice, especially those in better neighborhoods. Many people will donate entire households of items that they have inherited, if their donation goes to a good cause.

Now that you know the what, why and where of English Silver, the best place to put a value to that hallmarked treasure you've acquired is the Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks: http://www.925-1000.com

Once you connect your finds with official current pricing for English silver and its hallmarks, that 50 cent silver spoon that you found in a thrift store with a lions head hallmark from the 1720's will be your most valued possession, and it will provide a story that you will delight in sharing with other collectors.