Learn
Is it sterling silver or plate?
Solid sterling is 92.5 percent silver all the way through. Plate is base metal with a very thin silver coating. They can look identical when polished; the value difference is enormous.
Check the marks first
Solid: a lion passant, Hibernia and harp, or a number such as 925, 958, 800 or 830. Plate: EPNS, EP, A1, "silver plate" or "nickel silver", which contains no silver at all. Our hallmark guide shows all of these with pictures.
The magnet and weight tips
A strong magnet should not attract solid silver, but it also ignores copper and brass, so it can only rule things out. Weight helps more: a canteen of solid cutlery runs 2 to 4 kg, a solid teapot 400 to 800 g. Be careful with candlesticks, which are often weighted with pitch or plaster and prove nothing on the scale. Wear points tell the truth on plate: look for a different colour showing through on ridges and handle edges.
What we buy and do not buy
We buy solid silver in any form and any condition: cutlery, tea sets, trays, jewellery, coins, damaged or not, at the published rate per gram on our prices page. We do not buy plate for its metal value, and we will always tell you plainly which is which after testing.
Not sure? Photos beat guessing
Send us two or three photos on WhatsApp, including any marks, and we will tell you what you have and the best way to sell it. Silver goes by arrangement rather than the standard postal flow, because bulky lots often need a different approach.