Do you have to Hallmark an old Sheffield plate?
For almost one hundred years wonderful silver objects were crafted, by hand, from sheets of fused plate and almost everything made in silver was made in the new material. There was no legal requirement to mark Old Sheffield pieces so the system of hallmarking described above does not apply.
What was the purpose of the old Sheffield plate?
Old Sheffield Plate: An Introduction (Antique Silver Article) Silver has always been expensive. Since ancient times it has used to fashion objects of status and desire. Status is the word. Until quite recently silver had little practical use. It is too soft to make a tool or weapon from.
Who was the next manufacturer of Sheffield plates?
The date is uncertain because no patent was taken out. The next known manufacturer was Joseph Hancock, in 1755, but others also began and in 1784 the Sheffield Plate makers obtained an Act of the Parliament legalizing a mark consisting of the full name of the maker and an associated device.
How to identify and date Sheffield EPC silver?
If you discover the stamped initials “EPBM” or “EPNS,” then it is not copper Sheffield plate. Instead it is likely silver-plated nickel from the 19th century or later. Search for a symbol or initials on the metal. Old Sheffield Plate is usually identified using certain names and dates imprinted on the metal.
For almost one hundred years wonderful silver objects were crafted, by hand, from sheets of fused plate and almost everything made in silver was made in the new material. There was no legal requirement to mark Old Sheffield pieces so the system of hallmarking described above does not apply.
Why is old Sheffield silver plate so good?
Old Sheffield silver is often in remarkably good condition with little or no bleeding (copper showing through). This is because it is the unique property of Sheffield plate that it is sterling silver over copper (not pure silver, as is the case with both close plate and electroplate).
What was the process of making Sheffield plate?
In Sheffield plate a sheet of silver is fused on to a thicker one of copper and the compound billet rolled, both metals expanding equally, become a thin sheet of copper coated with a layer of silver. About 1840 the Electroplate process superseded Sheffielf Plate.
If you discover the stamped initials “EPBM” or “EPNS,” then it is not copper Sheffield plate. Instead it is likely silver-plated nickel from the 19th century or later. Search for a symbol or initials on the metal. Old Sheffield Plate is usually identified using certain names and dates imprinted on the metal.
