Before starting a collection of vintage or antique silver flatware, the beginner should learn some of the terminology used in this hobby. First, most people use terms like “fine,” “sterling” or “coin silver” without a clear idea of what is meant by the terms.
Fine silver is close to 100 percent pure silver. It is very rarely used in anything but bullion because of the metal’s softness in its pure form. Sterling silver is one of the older and more common standards in silver production, and can be traced as far back as the twelfth century to the Easterling district of Germany, hence the name “sterling.” It was adopted in Britain as the standard by Henry II and has since been one of the most common standards. Sterling silver is at least 92.5 percent silver with the other metals alloyed with it to increase its hardness, usually copper. Coin silver standard is a bit looser, usually around 90 percent silver, though many of the eastern coin silver pieces can go as low as 87.5 percent.
Another area that the beginner collector needs to be familiar with is how to recognize silver hallmarks. Hallmarks are a throwback to the medieval silversmith. Before there were large silver companies there were individual silversmiths, and each would mark his pieces with their special mark. Also, for some locations, a special city mark also accompanied the hallmark.
It was also common for silversmiths to include the year of production on the piece. This was commonly done as late as the 1920s in some places, and is still done today by high-end silversmiths.
Knowing how to read a hallmark can tell the collector a lot of information about the individual piece. For example a piece bearing the number 84 is almost always from Eastern Europe, Russia or Poland. A lady’s head facing left coupled with the 84 usually means it is a post-Russian revolution piece. There are many guides available for almost any niche in silver flatware collecting, many with pictorial examples of hallmarks. It is a source of satisfaction for collectors to know who the artisan was that made their piece and in what city he worked – and this can also add to the piece’s value.
With so many varieties of vintage silver flatware to choose from, deciding what to collect is a matter of personal taste and budget. Many collectors collect only those pieces of flatware that appeal to their tastes, while others prefer to collect silver flatware from a certain maker or nationality, or even from a certain century. For example, some collectors focus on colonial American silversmiths, while others may collect pieces from Russian makers of the nineteenth century. Some collectors are completists and collect every piece of a certain set, whereas many others prefer a more eclectic approach.
A good place for the beginning silver flatware collector to start is with pieces from the larger western silver manufacturers like Towle, Rogers and Son, or Gorham. These pieces are the kind of pieces that we all remember using at our grandparents’ homes during family gatherings. The pieces are usually plentiful and entire sets can be usually found for less than ten dollars per piece at local antique stores. More exotic pieces like Russian or Victorian pieces can be easily found through online auctions and specialty publications that serve that particular niche of collecting.
Whether you prefer simple beauty or elaborate engraving, there is bound to be a style of vintage silver flatware to fit your taste – and you can start with a single spoon. Happy hunting!
