No one knows for sure, but some historians speculate that the word “sterling” is a corruption of “Easterlings,” the German silversmiths brought to England by Henry II to share their silversmithing knowledge with the British. What we do know is that the sterling standard of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 alloy, which tends to be mostly copper, originated around 1300 in England with Edward I.
Ever since, the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and Silversmiths has enforced this standard. The Worshipful Company derives its authority from the Goldsmiths’ Hall, whose name is the origin of the word “hallmark.”
Because England used silver money until 1921, the crown relied on strict enforcement and heavy punishments to ensure the quality of British silver. Without these standards, silve...
Each piece of British silver had at least four marks that told its story: the standard mark, town mark, date letter, and maker’s mark. These marks were stamped on finished pieces when craftsmen brought their products to the local assay office, where officials tested the metal content of each product.
The sterling silver standard mark guaranteed that the silver content of a piece was at least 92.5 percent. In 1300, this mark was a leopard’s head. In 1478, the head was modified to include a crown. In 1544, during a time of coin debasement under Henry VIII, the mark was changed to a profile of a lion walking left, known as lion passant. This mark was changed again in 1820 to an uncrowned lion head.
For a short interim starting in 1697, the crown required silverware to be 95.8 percent pure silver, rather than 92.5 percent. This requirement was known as the Britannia standard, and the goal of its implementation was to prevent silversmiths after the Restoration from melting down coins (which were sterling standard) and using that to make their wares.
Britannia silver bore the profile of a lion’s head in place of the sterling mark. This higher-quality silver was softer and easier to work with, but the standard was phased out in 1720; even so, the lion’s head was sometimes used in later years to indicate a higher composition of silver than sterling.
The town mark indicated the origin of a piece; a large number of different town marks are known today. London used a leopard’s head, but marks elsewhere were often inconsistent. Thus, unique or rare marks often make a piece more collectible.
The date letter mark was first used in London in 1478 and is still enforced by the Worshipful Company today. The date mark indicates the year the piece was assayed—usually but not necessarily the same year as it was produced—with a letter of the alphabet, which changed every year. On special occasions, like the 25th wedding anniversary of George V and Queen Mary in 1934 and 1935, silversmiths would sometimes add an extra mark to commemorate the event.
The maker’s mark became mandatory in 1363 to ensure that a buyer could trace a bad or faulty good back to its maker. Because literacy rates were so low at the time, this mark started out as a sign or symbol, but this was changed to the first two letters of the maker’s surname in the late 16th century. In the 1720s, the mark changed again to the maker’s first and last initial.
Aside from these four marks, pieces from 1784 to 1890 also included a portrait of the current ruler. This mark proved to the government that the piece’s duty had been paid—a most important consideration given England’s massive debt following the American Revolution. This duty was repealed in 1890, and the sovereign mark disappeared along with it. Additionally, silver imported from 1867 onward had an “F” in a shield stamped on it to indicate its foreign origin.
Although marks tell a great deal of information about a piece, collectors should beware of fake marks. Whereas silversmiths used steel dies to punch their marks, forgers often used brass instead, resulting in a blurry mark. These forged marks are sometimes known as soft punches.
Stylistically, British silver followed the trends of the art world around it. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, Baroque was all the rage, with heavily ornamented and elaborate pieces. From 1702 to 1727, styles shifted to the much more restrained and austere Queen Anne and Early Georgian styles.
From then until 1837, the Rococo style took hold, with its organic, asymmetrical, and curved designs. The year 1837 marked the ascendancy of Queen Victoria and the rise of the Victorian silver, which was extravagant and heavily ornamented. In the 1890s, the whiplash curves and organic, asymmetrical shapes of Art Nouveau began to replace the Victorian style, with Tiffany & Co. producing high-quality vases, pitchers, and other types of hollowware.
Art Nouveau itself gave way in the mid-1910s to Art Deco, with its more geometric, stylized designs. Since 1945, the design of decorative and functional silver objects has been mostly modern, incorporating sculptural, organic, and abstract shapes.
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Exhibits and extended shopping May 25 along San Marco Avenue
St. Augustine Record, May 22ndA Step Back in Time, 60 San Marco Ave., 810-5829, www.astepbackintimeantiques.com: Fine antique furniture, American art pottery, sterling silver, U.S. coins, estate and contemporary jewelry, folksy kitsch, and Florida Highwaymen paintings will be on...Read more
At the Galleries
Green Bay Press Gazette, May 22ndHandmade jewelry of more than 25 artists created from many elements including 14-karat gold and sterling silver, many incorporating diamonds and gemstones. Artworks in watercolor, oils, stained glass and pottery. Antiques and furniture. 10 a.m. to 6 p...Read more
Style Scene: Get your skin ready for summer
Tulsa World, May 21stStyle Scene: New Cherry Street retailers offer French, retro decor. Among the latest retailers to open in the Cherry Street district is the antique home decor shop The French Bee, 1345 E. 15th Ste. A. The limited-edition sterling silver keepsake is...Read more
Tiffany baroque-style brass clock set to tick past $3000
Antique Trader, May 20thA large and heavy circa-1920 sterling silver squash blossom necklace is unusual in its styling, said Stephenson's fine jewelry expert, Theresa Zaengle, because it does not contain turquoise, coral or other stones, as would be typical of most squash...Read more
Stephenson's Antiques & Decorative Arts Auction features jewelry, silver ...
Art Daily, May 18thA large and heavy circa-1920 sterling silver squash blossom necklace is unusual in its styling, said Stephenson's fine jewelry expert, Theresa Zaengle, because it does not contain turquoise, coral or other stones, as would be typical of most squash...Read more
Treasure Hunting: Old vases flatter spring flowers
Poughkeepsie Journal, May 12thFor more rustic decors, try earthy ceramic colored vases or antique bronze. The Heintz Art Company, for instance, made gorgeous bronze vases and other items in the early 1900s with silver overlay designs. Its direct competitor, Silver Crest (workers...Read more
Buckhead's silver thief has sterling taste
Atlanta Magazine, May 3rdNot only is he fastidious, but the thief unerringly heads straight for the sterling, leaving silver-plated items, jewelry, and even laptops or iPhones behind. As any collector—or fan of Antiques Roadshow—knows, it's not easy to tell silver plate from...Read more
Antique, art show helps kick off celebration
Gasparilla Gazette, April 25thThe Boca Grande Original Antique, Art & Design Show will feature one-of-a-kind estate jewelry, early American furniture, sterling silver plus art and collectibles, according to show promoter Brenda Lee Combrink. "We have some very exclusive dealers...Read more
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