Abe SIlverman's Antique Silver Shop
Appraisal Information

"What's my silver or silver plate item worth?"

We receive numerous inquiries daily wanting to know the value of a particular piece of silver or silverplate or an identification.  Please, read this entire page.  This information is provided and is intended to guide and educate you in a very basic way. 

For an on-line appraisal (value) and accurate identification, click here.






Abe Silverman's Antique Silver Shop does not personally conduct value appraisals or identifications of quadruple silverplate, Victorian silver, or estate silver plate items, flatware identification or glass or china patterns identifications.  

Many people believe their silverplated heirlooms are sterling silver. Unfortunately, this is mostly not true.  Silver makers are very proud of their sterling silver crafted items and practically always mark the item in a clear and most conspicuous way.  The general rule is: "If it is not marked sterling; it is not sterling silver."



The following are even more tips that will help you make a decision for yourself:







(Silverplate) silver plate is not solid silver. It is a ware made of a metal, such as nickel or copper, that is covered with a thin coating of silver. The letters EPNS are often found on American and English silver-plated wares. Sheffield is a term with two meanings. Sometimes it refers to sterling silver made in the town of Sheffield, England.









For appraisal information, click here.

Due to the high volume of email we receive we regret not being able to address individual questions about your pieces. We do offer, however, a wide range of valuable tools and reference material on this page and others.


Abe also keeps an up-to-date list of various silversmith companies which can repair your silver, replate your silver and professionally recondition and polish your silver or silverplate items.


We also offer an International Currency Conversion Tool for our valuable international buyers to easily convert U.S. Dollars into their home currency. 


Here's a great site for dating Wedgwood (British Porcelain, Pottery and Ceramic Trade Marks) and another for authenticating Wedgwood ceramics.

The International Society of Appraisers (ISA) http://www.isa-appraisers.org
American Society of Appraisers (ASA) http://www.appraisers.org
Appraisers Association of America (AAA) http://www.appraisersassoc.org

If you are unsure of exactly what your silver or silver plate item is called, we suggest that you use Google search engine and enter as much information as you have on your item (Silver manufacturer's name, pattern number, etc.) to locate a similar item.  Also, your local public library is chock-full of reference books on and about silver, antique silver, china and other items.  Locate the reference section.

Man's timeless fascination with silver stretches back 6,000 years. As early as 700 B.C., the Mesopotamian merchants used silver as a form of exchange. Later, many other civilizations also came to recognize the inherent value of silver as a trading metal.

The ancient Greeks minted the drachma, which contained 1/8th ounce of silver; and in Rome, the basic coin was the denarius, weighing 1/7th ounce. And let's not forget the English shilling "sterling," originally denoting a specific weight of silver, which has come to mean excellence.

Today, millions of people throughout the world recognize silver's intrinsic value and have made it popular as an affordable investment. 
(The Silver Institute)
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