✅ Marks That Mean Real Silver
Fine Silver
99.9% pure silver. Found on bullion bars, coins, and premium items. The purest common form of silver. Calculate value →
Britannia Silver
95.8% pure. Used in British silverware since 1697. Higher purity than sterling. Calculate value →
Sterling Silver
92.5% silver, 7.5% copper. The most common hallmark worldwide. Used for jewelry, silverware, and decorative items. Calculate value →
Coin Silver
90% silver. Found on pre-1965 US coins, some European items, and coin silver flatware. Calculate value →
European Silver
83.5% pure. Common in German, Dutch, and Scandinavian silverware. Calculate value →
European Silver
80% pure. Widely used in Continental European silverware, especially Italian and German. Calculate value →
Sterling Silver
Word mark equivalent to 925. Common on American and British silver items.
Sterling (abbreviated)
Short form of STERLING. Same meaning — 92.5% pure silver.
Coin Silver
Usually indicates 90% pure silver. Found on early American flatware and hollowware.
❌ Marks That Mean Silver Plated (NOT Solid)
Items with these marks have a thin layer of silver over a base metal. They contain very little actual silver and are typically worth $1-5 in silver content.
Electroplated Nickel Silver
Silver plating over nickel silver (which contains NO silver). Very common stamp on cheap silverware.
Electroplated
Thin layer of silver applied electrically to a base metal. Minimal silver content.
Best Quality Plate
Thickest plating grade, but still only a surface coating. Not solid silver.
Silver Plated
Explicit marking indicating plating. Not worth buying or selling as scrap silver.
International Silver
Brand name that made plated silverware. Despite "silver" in the name, these are plated.
Rogers Brand
Famous maker of silver plated flatware. Very common — almost always plated, not solid.
ℹ️ Special Hallmarks
Lion Passant
British hallmark since 1544 confirming sterling silver quality. May appear alongside date letters and maker's marks.
Anchor
Birmingham assay office mark. Combined with the lion passant, confirms authentic British sterling silver.
Duty Mark
Monarch's head indicating duty was paid. Found on items from 1784-1890.
French 1st Standard
French silver with 95% purity. Used alongside the Minerva head hallmark.
Where to Look for Hallmarks
Rings
Inside the band
Necklaces
On the clasp or near the clasp
Spoons/Forks
Back of handle, near top
Trays/Plates
Bottom/underside
Cups/Bowls
Bottom or near the base
Watch Cases
Inside the case back
Use a 10x jeweler's loupe (about $10 on Amazon) to read small hallmarks. Smartphone cameras with macro mode can also work — take a photo and zoom in. For additional testing methods, see our silver identification guide.
What If There's No Hallmark?
No hallmark doesn't necessarily mean it's not silver. Some older pieces, handmade items, or items from countries without marking requirements may be unmarked silver. Options:
- Try the magnet test, ice test, or ring test
- Take it to a jeweler for an acid test or XRF analysis
- Look for subtle signs: tarnish pattern, weight, and construction quality