Selling silver in Ireland
How to sell silver in Ireland
Silver sells by weight and fineness like gold, but the first job is different: most of the “silver” in Irish houses is plate, which has no metal value. Solid silver is marked 925 (sterling), 958 (Britannia), 999 (fine) or a continental number such as 800. Today we pay 1.03 euro per gram for sterling and 0.89 euro per gram for continental 800 to 900 silver, live as of 30 Sept, 23:22, by weight, hallmarked or not. Antique Irish silver can be worth more than melt, and we say so before you decide.
Step one: solid silver or plate?
Plate is a thin layer of silver bonded or electroplated onto copper, brass or nickel. It was made in enormous quantities from the 1840s on, it looks like silver, and it is worth nothing as metal. The marks tell you:
| Mark | Means | Melt value |
|---|---|---|
| 925, Sterling, lion passant, Hibernia with crowned harp | Sterling silver, 92.5% | Yes |
| 958, Britannia figure | Britannia silver, 95.8% | Yes, priced as sterling |
| 999, Fine | Fine silver | Yes |
| 800, 830, 835, 900, crescent moon and crown, Minerva head | Continental silver, 80 to 90% | Yes, at the 800 rate |
| EPNS, EP, A1, EPBM, “silver plated”, Newbridge without 925 | Electroplate | None |
| Nickel silver, German silver, alpaca | No silver at all | None |
Two quick home checks: a magnet that sticks means base metal, and a plated piece often shows pink copper where it is worn at the edges. Our guide to sterling versus plate has pictures. If you are unsure, photograph the marks and send them on WhatsApp before posting anything; we answer quickly and it saves a wasted parcel.
What we pay today, per gram
| Grade | Hallmark | We pay per gram | 100 g fetches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling silver (925) | 925 | €1.03$1.17£0.88 | €103.00$116.96£88.03 |
| Fine silver (999) | 999 | €1.19$1.35£1.02 | €119.00$135.12£101.70 |
| Other silver (800 to 900) | 800 | €0.89$1.01£0.76 | €89.00$101.06£76.06 |
| Sterling-handled knives (925) | 925 | €0.51$0.58£0.44 | €51.00$57.91£43.59 |
| Other silver-handled knives (800 to 900) | 800 | €0.44$0.50£0.38 | €44.00$49.96£37.60 |
Shown in USD for reference at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB reference rate, 30 Sep 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Shown in GBP for reference at €1 = £0.8546 (ECB reference rate, 30 Sep 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Continental and unreadable marks are priced at 800 fineness, the lowest common grade, so the quote is always safe whatever the mark turns out to be. Knives are weighed whole, blade and all, at half the rate of their grade, because the blade is steel and the handle is filled; our guide to why silver knives pay less explains how to weigh a canteen so your estimate is right.
Typical weights
Silver adds up faster than people expect. A sterling tablespoon weighs roughly 60 to 80 grams, a teaspoon 20 to 30, a dinner fork 60 to 75. A six-place canteen of sterling forks and spoons is often 1.5 to 2.5 kilograms. A christening mug is 100 to 200 grams; a photo frame is mostly wood and glass with 30 to 80 grams of silver on it. Candlesticks are usually weighted with pitch or plaster and contain far less silver than they weigh, so they are priced on the silver, not the gross.
When silver is worth more than melt
Ireland has a long silversmithing tradition and some pieces should not be melted. Georgian and Victorian Dublin silver with a clear date letter, provincial Cork and Limerick work marked STERLING, Kilkenny Design Workshops pieces, and signed modern studio silver can sell at auction for several times their weight value. Complete antique canteens by good makers, Arts and Crafts pieces and early Irish coffee pots are the same. We flag anything like this when it arrives rather than melting it; our hallmarks guide shows how to read a date letter yourself. Modern sterling cutlery, damaged pieces, odd spoons and jewellery are usually worth their metal, and that metal is real money.
How to sell silver to us
- Photograph the marks and send them on WhatsApp from the silver page. We confirm what you have and the best way to send it.
- For solid silver we post you a free insured Bosca Óir with the prepaid return label inside; over a kilo, a bigger prepaid insured box.
- Everything is sorted, weighed and XRF tested on camera; plate is set aside and returned free.
- You get an itemised offer at the published rates. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer; decline and it all comes back free.
Prefer to keep the metal? We also refine silver and return 999 grain or a bar, with the fee taken in metal.
Questions people ask
How much is sterling silver worth per gram in Ireland?
Sterling is 92.5 percent silver, so a gram of it contains 0.925 grams of silver at the live silver price. Our net price per gram for sterling, fine and continental silver is on this page and refreshed through the day.
Is silver plate worth anything?
Not as metal. EPNS, A1, 'silver plated' and most Newbridge and Sheffield-plate cutlery carry a microscopic layer of silver on a base metal and have no melt value. Some plated pieces have value as objects, but no scrap buyer can pay for them and we return them free.
How can I tell if my silver is real?
Look for 925, Sterling, a lion passant (UK), the Hibernia and crowned harp (Ireland), or continental numbers such as 800, 830 or 835. Plate is marked EPNS, EP, A1, or with a maker's name and no fineness. A magnet that sticks means it is not silver. When in doubt, send photos of the marks on WhatsApp before posting anything.
Why do silver knives pay less than forks and spoons?
Because a knife is mostly not silver: the blade is stainless steel and the handle is a thin silver shell filled with pitch or cement. We buy silver-handled knives weighed whole at half the rate of their grade. Forks and spoons are solid and pay the full rate.
Should antique Irish silver be melted?
Often not. Georgian and Victorian Dublin silver, Cork and Limerick pieces marked STERLING, and Kilkenny Design Workshops work can be worth several times melt to collectors. We flag such pieces before you decide. Modern sterling cutlery and damaged items are usually worth their metal.
Ready to sell?
Check the net price per gram for your grade first, then request a free insured postal pack. Every item is tested on camera, the offer is itemised, and anything you decline comes back free.