The Antique Silver Checklist: What to Inspect Before You Buy
Antique silver ranges from everyday flatware to exceptional work by celebrated goldsmiths. Age is only one part of value: design, maker, gauge, condition, provenance and the quality of restoration all matter.
Start with the object
Handle silver only with permission and clean, dry hands or suitable gloves. Assess balance, weight and quality of construction. Compare removable parts and paired pieces for colour, wear and fit.
The [LAPADA guide to buying antique silver](https://lapada.org/guides/buying-antique-silver/) recommends considering design, gauge, weight, condition, colour, patina, date and maker rather than treating age alone as quality.
Read the marks
Photograph the complete hallmark and its location. Identify the sponsor or maker, fineness and assay office, then use the date letter if present. Partial marks may appear on lids, handles or other separate components.
A genuine old mark does not automatically authenticate every part. Look for transposed marks, altered pieces and components with incompatible wear.
Examine colour and patina
Old silver develops fine scratches and wear from use. Fireskin and coherent patina can be important. Be cautious when the surface is unnaturally bright, detail is rounded, or engraving looks faint: repeated polishing may have removed metal.
Tarnish is not necessarily a defect. Do not judge condition solely by whether the piece shines.
Look for repairs and alteration
Inspect handles, feet, rims, hinges, seams, spouts and high points of decoration. Look for:
- Solder lines and patches
- Thinned or erased cartouches
- Recut engraving
- Holes in raised detail
- Replaced handles, lids or feet
- Conversion from another purpose
- Later decoration
- Over-plating
Ask for every significant intervention in writing. Some repair can be acceptable, but extent and quality should affect description and price.
Compare sets carefully
Check that all pieces share compatible marks, pattern, weight, length and wear. Sets are often assembled later. An honest matched set can still be useful and attractive, but it should not be sold as an untouched original service.
Ask about provenance and use
Request earlier invoices, collection history and published references. Confirm whether the object is practical for its intended use and whether food-contact concerns need specialist advice.
Calculate the full decision
Compare like with like: maker, date, weight, design and condition. Melt value is not a sound measure of artistic or historical quality. Obtain an independent specialist opinion for expensive or disputed pieces.
For restoration demonstrations and workshop stories, [watch and subscribe to Antique Repair Shop on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@AntiqueRepairShop).
Sources and further reading
- [LAPADA: Guide to buying antique silver](https://lapada.org/guides/buying-antique-silver/)
- [British Hallmarking Council: Practical hallmarking guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hallmarking-guidance-notes/hallmarking-is-the-law-guidance-summary)
- [CINOA: Code of Ethics](https://www.cinoa.org/about/code-of-ethics/)