Sterling canteens, knives, EPNS and plate
Sell silver cutlery in Ireland
Sterling cutlery is paid by weight at 0.93 euro per gram today; silver-handled knives at 0.46 euro per gram weighed whole, live as of 26 Oct, 12:03 Dublin time. EPNS and silver plate have no melt value. The first job is to read the marks, then weigh forks and spoons separately from knives.
What do you pay for silver cutlery today?
| Grade | Hallmark | We pay per gram | 100 g fetches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling silver (925) | 925 | €0.93$1.04£0.78 | €93.00$104.09£77.87 |
| Sterling-handled knives (925) | 925 | €0.46$0.51£0.39 | €46.00$51.49£38.51 |
| Other silver (800 to 900) | 800 | €0.80$0.90£0.67 | €80.00$89.54£66.98 |
| Other silver-handled knives (800 to 900) | 800 | €0.40$0.45£0.33 | €40.00$44.77£33.49 |
Shown in USD for reference at €1 = $1.1193 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Shown in GBP for reference at €1 = £0.8373 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
The price per gram shown is our published price for that grade, guaranteed. The grade, and so the final price, is confirmed after XRF testing.
What would yours fetch?
A six-place canteen of forks and spoons is often 1.5 to 2 kg; enter your weigh-in grams.
Indicative offer
€465.00$520.47£389.34
Live London price. Final price confirmed after XRF testing.
Your free insured Bosca Óir pack, no obligation. We keep this figure with your request.
Shown in USD for reference at €1 = $1.1193 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Shown in GBP for reference at €1 = £0.8373 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Sterling, continental silver or plate?
Real cutlery carries a fineness: 925 for sterling, 800 to 900 for continental sets, sometimes 958 on Britannia pieces. Plate carries EPNS, EP, A1 or a brand name without a number. Newbridge and similar makers produced both sterling and plate; the mark decides. Our sterling versus plate guide has pictures.
How to weigh a canteen before you message us
Put forks and spoons on the scale together and note the grams. Weigh knives separately. If you have a fish slice or serving spoon, include it with the forks and spoons. Ignore the wooden box. That split lets us quote the full rate on the solid pieces and the knife rate on the knives, which matches how the offer is written.
Weighted candlesticks, teapots and handled pieces
Many “silver” table pieces are mostly plaster, pitch or glass with a thin skin of silver. They are priced on the silver we can recover, not the gross weight on the scales. If a piece feels far too heavy for its size, mention that on WhatsApp.
How it works
Message us on WhatsApp first
Silver starts with a short WhatsApp chat: a photo of the marks and a rough weight tells us whether it is sterling or plate and how much packaging you need. If it is worth sending, we post you a free pack with a prepaid insured return label.
Post it from any An Post office
Seal the items in the security bag, hand the parcel in at any An Post office and keep the proof of postage. The label is prepaid, tracked and insured, and once An Post scans it the parcel travels at our risk up to 2,000 euro. It usually reaches us in Dublin the next working day.
We weigh and XRF test it on camera
Every piece is weighed on a calibrated scale and tested on an XRF analyser, which reads the metal's composition without damaging it. The opening and testing are recorded, and your itemised offer lists each piece, its weight, its grade and the published price per gram applied. The offer stays open for 48 hours.
Accept the price and get paid by bank transfer
Accept and we pay by bank transfer the same working day, less 12 euro return postage at cost, waived when the parcel's melt value is over 500 euro. Decline and everything comes back to you free by tracked post. One valid photo ID is checked before any payment.
Questions people ask
Is my cutlery sterling or plate?
Sterling is marked 925, Sterling, a lion passant or Irish Hibernia with crowned harp. Plate is marked EPNS, EP, A1, silver plated or carries a maker's name with no fineness. EPNS has no melt value and comes back to you free.
Why do silver knives pay less than forks?
The blade is steel and the handle is a thin silver shell filled with pitch or cement. We buy knives weighed whole at half the sterling rate. Forks and spoons are solid silver at the full rate.
How do I weigh a canteen?
Weigh forks and spoons together at the full sterling rate. Weigh knives separately at the knife rate. Do not weigh candlesticks or teapots at gross weight if they feel heavy: the insides are often filled.
Should I polish the cutlery first?
Not for our purposes. Tarnish does not change the weight. Aggressive polishing can wear thin plate through to the base metal, which makes the marks harder to read.
Can I post a full canteen?
Solid sterling canteens are bulky, so start with photos and a weight on WhatsApp. We send the right box and prepaid insured label once we know it is sterling and not plate.
Is antique Irish silver cutlery worth melting?
Georgian and Victorian Dublin silver can be worth more to collectors than melt. We buy on metal only; if you think a piece belongs in that market, read the marks and consider auction first.
Ready to sell your cutlery?
Photograph the marks and tell us the weight on WhatsApp first. We confirm sterling versus plate, then send the right insured packaging for a canteen.