Successfully Selling Silver on eBay - article Two - Hallmarks, Maker's Marks, Standards, and More

(Warning: This record is long and reading it may enhance your potential to make money on eBay)

In record One I discussed the opportunities for savvy eBay sellers in the growing investor market for old and collectible silver. The many types of marks on these goods can be confusing, however, often resulting in poorly described listings. One can be assured that at least 30% of the 12-15,000 weekly listings in the 'Antiques-Sterling' class will have inaccurate or misleading descriptions. The resulting buyer blurring and uncertainty causes poor selling prices, lost sales and distributor credibility issues.

Irish Names And Meanings

In this record eBayers will learn how to recognize and understand the many different marks and where to explore them. With this background sellers can write pro descriptions in their eBay auctions, eBay shop and other selling venues. Properly identifying and listing silver items gives sellers credibility and an edge over the hundreds of uninformed sellers in this competing market.

Successfully Selling Silver on eBay - article Two - Hallmarks, Maker's Marks, Standards, and More

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Think of it this way - if one were going to get into the car selling business he or she should know as much as possible about makes, models, engines, performance, etc. Right? The same thing applies to selling silver goods. The marks tell the story behind the piece i.e., the maker, age, origin, history, quality, pattern, etc. understanding marks will increase the sellers' Roi because they come to be better buyers as well as resellers.

Identifying and Deciphering Silver Marks - The list below provides the basics for studying the many marks and and metal types. For added explore and schooling there are many exquisite reference books available for both beginners and experts. I've in case,granted a short list of recommend books at the end of the article. Understand that many reference books are narrow in their scope i.e., definite to safe bet time periods, countries, etc. For this think one should buy only one or two books which cover a wide array of marks from many makers and countries. As experience is gained by listing and selling silver one can build a good reference library. For online explore there are some exquisite websites that are contributed to and used by collectors and dealers worldwide. I've related one of the best sites at the lowest of the article. pro valuations and appraisals are also available for those who want a potential listing but don't want to explore marks.

Those who are just beginning into silver sales need to be very true not to misinterpret marks. As stated above, one-third of the eBay sellers incorrectly list and reveal items because they've learned just adequate data about marks to be dangerous. Often these erroneous sellers think because there is a lion, crown, or anchor mark on their item it is English sterling when, in fact, it is silverplate bearing a pseudo mark. Just today I saw a new seller's auction of a creamer and sugar bowl set that she listed as English sterling made in 1903. In reality it was American silverplate circa 1877-1880. She concept the pattern number, 1903, was the date it was made and that the lion in the trademark meant English sterling. This is just one example of many that make sellers look bad and limit their chances for a profitable sale.

Use Knowledge As A Selling Point - After properly researching the marks on the merchandise one can accurately title and reveal the listings. Items can be guaranteed to be as claimed because the distributor has adequate belief to do so. This gives credibility to the distributor and the merchandise which will draw smart investors and collectors to the auction. The follow will be strong bidding operation and higher sale prices.

Use Accurately Identified Marks for quest Optimization - For example, a distributor identifies a piece as Danish and made by Georg Jensen circa 1909-1914. When used to keyword the auction title and record this data will be a magnet for high-end collectors . This translates into bigger profits. Which of these two titles works best? "Antique Silver Bowl with Hallmarks" or,"Beautiful Georg Jensen Art Nouveau Sterling Centerpiece c.1909-1914". The second one of course. This is naturally using strategic keywords in the title which gives life to the listing.

Okay, so what's to learn? There's plenty. The following is just the short list, but with this foundation a distributor can build their road to success as an expert silver dealer on eBay and other venues.

Things You Must Know:

• Hallmarks - Just about every eBay distributor misunderstands this. definite to costly metals, a hallmark is defined as a mark or series of marks struck into the metal that officially authenticates the metal clarity N �����Ѵਹ (fineness or content) and which is internationally recognized as a certify of purity. Ebay sellers often confuse hallmarks with maker's marks, logos, business trademarks, and easy whole marks such as 925 or 835. While such whole marks are used to indicate clarity N �����Ѵਹ or article they are never to be carefully as hallmarks unless they are accompanied by the valid approved mark of the country of origin. Why? Because anyone can fraudulently assault these numbers into the metal without valid assay. Hallmarks are the official marks of guaranteed metal clarity N �����Ѵਹ in costly metal items. Trademarks and maker's marks are naturally the mark of the builder of the item. Think of it like the karat marks on gold jewelry. If a ring says Cartier 18K, the hallmark is the 18K, not the maker's name, Cartier. It guarantees the ring has a gold clarity N �����Ѵਹ of 75% and it is recognized worldwide. Silver hallmarks work the same way, there's just a lot more of them than there are for gold.
• Country Marks - almost every country requires valid nationalized marks or symbols to be used as the hallmarks for their costly metals standards. Probably the best known of all is the Lion Passant used by England to certify sterling since the 14th century. There are far too many country marks to list here but you can explore them in the online reference sites listed at the end of this article.
• City Marks - A mark or symbol used in many countries to denote the city where the item was made. The leopard head representing London and the anchor representing Birmingham are two of the best known and most ordinarily seen on eBay. Again there's too many to list but they can be researched in the reference guides listed below.
• Maker's Marks - These are the registered names, initials, trademarks, logos, brands, symbols, or other marks used over some centuries by silversmiths and manufacturing companies to recognize their wares. There are verily hundreds of these worldwide. You will regularly find these struck or imprinted onto an inconspicuous place on the item along with the hallmark and other marks.
• Date Marks - Also called Date Codes, these are unique symbols, characters, letters, or numbers used by some well known manufacturers as a means of dating the yield year of their merchandise. These are cataloged and are very beneficial in accurately dating many items. Unfortunately many companies didn't use date marks which makes exact dating of their work impossible.
• Pseudo Marks - These marks were created by silversmiths to mimic the well known and long established British sterling hallmarks. These smiths typically made silverplate items and silver items of lesser clarity N �����Ѵਹ than sterling. The marks were intentionally designed to give a perception of sterling potential about their work in order to behalf on the prestige and renown of British sterling. This does not necessarily mean they were all practicing fakery, though some verily were. In fact, many pseudo marks are verily registered trademarks of reputable firms which invent in sterling, coin and silverplate. For example Gorham, a extremely respected American sterling and silverplate maker, incorporated the Birmingham anchor mark into their maker's mark. Much of the 19th century Chinese export silver also bears pseudo marks on some very high potential 800 and 835 approved marked goods. Pseudo marks are often mistaken for British sterling hallmarks so buyers and sellers alike must be able to recognize them. This is one of the main reasons why explore is so principal to thriving selling.
• Pattern Numbers - These are proprietary numbers which are often found along with the hallmarks and maker's marks. These are used by the builder for patent registration, pattern identification and catalogue control.
• Sterling - Sterling is defined by the U.K., the U.S. (refer below*) and most other nations as an alloy containing at least 92.5% pure silver. The other metal in the alloy is copper which strengthens the metal for fabrication into usable and ornamental wares. The word sterling comes from 14th century England. The sterling approved in Great Britain and elsewhere has been 92.5% (925) fineness since that time.
• 925, 0.925 or 925/1000 - This whole is often found stamped into silver items. It represents sterling when accompanied by the valid approved hallmark of the country of origin. The nearnessy of this whole on an item does not certify it to be sterling unless the valid country hallmark is also present.
• "Solid Silver" - This is defined by the U.S. Government (refer below*) as an alloy containing at least 92.5% pure silver which means it has to be sterling. It is illegal in the U.S. To report any stock by this name that is not sterling silver.
• "Coin Silver" - This alloy gets its name from 18th and 19th century American silversmiths who melted down silver coins in order to invent items to sell. Typical items were silverware and other table assistance wares. The U.S. Government defines this to be an alloy of 90% (900) clarity N �����Ѵਹ (refer below*). Many items with less than 90% clarity N �����Ѵਹ are often and illegally sold as "coin silver" in the U.S. On eBay and in other venues.
• Continental Sterling - This is a misleading term used by some who sell European made items which have clarity N �����Ѵਹ standards less than 92.5%. Similar terms used are Russian Sterling, German Sterling, French Sterling, etc. All of which are marked with valid national standards that are less than 925. Continental Silver is the exact way to reveal European goods in case,granted the valid hallmark and assay mark are present to authenticate the actual purity.
• Silver Standards - In the U.S. The standards are pure (.9999%), sterling and coin (refer below*). In the U.K. The standards are britannia (95.8 % purity) and sterling. Britannia was used exclusively in Britain from 1697 to 1720 and has been elective since. Other countries have their own sets of valid standards. Typically, but not without exception, these are 950, 935, 925, 900, 875, 850, 835, 812, 800, 750, and 675 purities as carefully by valid assay. These numbers report the decimal fraction (percentage) of silver article in the man-made item. For example, an item marked '800' is 80% pure. 950 and 935 can be legally referred to in the U.S. As sterling, regardless of the country of origin, but the lesser standards cannot. 950 is sometimes referred to as Martelé Silver. Note: In the U.S. It is a federal crime to import, sell, label, advertise, or otherwise report any item as "sterling" or "solid silver" which does not have a clarity N �����Ѵਹ of 92.5% or greater (refer below*).
• Loth Numbers - This was a numerical theory used in Austria-Hungary and Germany-Prussia in the 18th and 19th centuries for authenticating valid assays. It is based on a clarity N �����Ѵਹ of 16/16. So that 15/16 is 15 Loth equaling .937 purity, 14/16 is 14 Loth equaling .875 purity, 13/16 is 13 Loth equaling .812 purity, and so on. Most of the old silver from these countries found listed on eBay is 13 Loth and, as noted above, it is often misrepresented as German Sterling. Austria-Hungary used this theory until 1866 and Germany-Prussia until 1886.
• Zolotnik Numbers - These numbers are found on Russian silver items going back some centuries. The root of this theory began in the 11th century with the Russian gold trade. A lot of old Russian items are auctioned on eBay and other venues so it is leading to know some basics. The numbers are based on 96/96 being pure. What is sold mostly on eBay is the more base 84 Zolotnik, or 84/96 which equals 875 (87.5%) purity. 88 Zolotnik is 88/96 or 916 clarity N �����Ѵਹ and so on. A base problem with the 84 mark is mistaking safe bet types of French silverplate for Russian 84 Zolotnik. One way to tell the discrepancy is the French silverplate mark will have either a 'Gr' or 'G' after the 84 which represents grams of silver used in the plating process. Also the Russian 84 Zolotnik will all the time be accompanied with one or more valid marks and a maker's mark in Russian Cyrillic letters. If an item is claimed to be Russian and it bears on the whole 84, then think it to be fake or plate.
• Silverplate - This is a very thin layering or coating of pure silver over a base metal. The most base base metals used are copper, brass, nickel-silver, white metal, and Britannia metal (see below). The two types of silverplate are Sheffield plate and electroplate. Sheffield derives its name from Sheffield, England where it originated. The technique used was a 'sandwiching' of a layer of base metal between a top and lowest layer of pure silver. The metals were wrought or rolled until the two metals were bonded. Thus the base metal was 'plated' and could then be used for manufacturing. Electroplating was invented in 1805 but didn't come into popular use until 1840. This is an electrolytic process whereby molecules of silver are deposited onto the surfaces of a sheet of base metal until the desired coating or thickness is achieved. Because electroplating is quick and not labor intense almost all plating was done this way by 1860 which doomed the Sheffield plate method. Today Sheffield plate is prized by collectors due to its superior hand-wrought potential and old value. There are some different potential grades of electroplate/silverplate. These are based on the thickness of the plating resulting from the whole of silver used. The two base types of Victorian Era silverplate are triple plate and quadruple plate. You will see a lot of these types auctioned on eBay. The key thing to know about silverplate is that it has no principal silver weight, thus there is no costly metal value related with it. The market for silverplated items is based on rarity, uniqueness, old qualities, craftsmanship, and invent qualities only.
• Sterling Silverplate - There is no such thing! This record is often used by eBay sellers who don't know anyone about silver or who are keyword spamming to increase clicks on their listing. Because sterling is an alloy it is unsuitable to use as a silver source for plating.
• E.P.N.S. - You will see these letters marking the bottoms of many older American and British silverplated items. This stands for Electro Plated Nickel-Silver. Many novice eBay sellers and those who don't bother to do any explore mistakenly list E.P.N.S. Items as sterling. base variations on this are E.P., E.P.C. (Electro Plate on Copper), E.P.W.M. (Electro Plate on White Metal), E.P.B. Or E.P.B.M. (Electro Plate on Britannia Metal). Just know that any item marked with E.P. Is silverplate and as such has no costly metal value.
• Nickel-Silver - This is a base base metal alloy consisting of nickel, copper and zinc. There is no silver in it whatsoever. The name was coined because the metal is silvery in color and polishes to a shine. Other names used for the same metal are: Alpacca or Alpacca Silver; Brazil Silver; German Silver; Peru Silver; New York Silver; New Silver; Nevada Silver; Norwegian Silver; Silverite; Venetian Silver; Potosi Silver; and Sonora Silver to name just a few. Many habitancy have been stung buying things like old German Silver ladies purses thinking they had something of real value. Nickel-silver is strong and durable but it doesn't have any metal value.
• White Metal - This is a silvery colored alloy regularly containing a compound of antimony, tin, lead, zinc, and cadmium. In the U.K. The British fine arts trade uses the term 'white metal' to reveal all foreign items which do not have valid British Assay Office marks struck on them.
• Britannia Metal - other non-silver base metal similar to pewter which is popular because it is durable and polishes to a silver-like luster. This is an alloy of 93% tin, 5% antimony and 2% copper. Not to be confused with 958 Britannia from Great Britain.

The hundreds of known marks and their meanings are involved and often confusing. The data you've received in this record should increase your understanding of what many of the marks represent. You can now build upon these basics to come to be an informed buyer and reseller with a ample edge over your competition. Thanks for following this record series and please watch for record Three: A Focus on British Sterling.

Suggested Reference Books:

1. Kovels' American Silver Marks by Ralph and Terry Kovel; Random House Reference, 1st Ed., 1989. Isbn-13: 978-0517568828
2. Dealer's Guides: English Silver Hall-Marks by Judith Banister; Foulsham Publishing, 2004. Isbn-13: 978-0572029999
3. Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers by Dorothy T. Rainwater, Martin Fuller and Colette Fuller; Schiffer Publishing, 2003. Isbn-13: 978-0764318870
4. American Silversmiths and Their Marks: The Definitive (1948) Edition by Stephen G. C. Ensko; Dover Publications, 1983. Isbn-13: 978-0486244280
5. All About old Silver with International Hallmarks by Diana Sanders Cinamon; Aaa Publishing; 1St edition, 2006. Isbn-13: 978-0978516802
6. Discovering Hallmarks on English Silver by John Bly; Shire Publishing, 9th Ed., 2008. Isbn-13: 978-0747804505
7. English, Irish, & Scottish Silver: at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art invent by Beth Carver Wees; Hudson Hills Press, 1st Ed.,1997. Isbn-13: 978-1555951177

(These and other exquisite reference books on this field are available at Amazon.com and other fine booksellers.)

* U.S. Guide to costly Metals & Jewels: Laws & Standards (See paragraph 23.6)

Successfully Selling Silver on eBay - article Two - Hallmarks, Maker's Marks, Standards, and More