Registration of marks for plated goods virtually ceased after 1836 because the new British plate could not correctly be termed Sheffield plate as silver was not fused onto copper. Yet again manufacturers resorted to marking their wares with unregistered symbols which looked very much like hallmarks. After 1765, and more so following the turn of the nineteenth century, a crown was sometimes used in addition to other marks. This was originally intended to show that the piece was of good quality, and its use grew at the conclusion of the Napoleonic wars in 1815 to differentiate between English plate and cheap wares imported from France. Manufacturers used it increasingly throughout the nineteenth century until the public were in such a state of confusion, since it was also the mark for the Sheffield Assay Office, that its use was eventually prohibited in 1896. (more…)

The lustre and mellow colour, characteristic of old silver, which distinguish it from the colder, metallic appearance of new wares, will be enhanced by regular, careful cleaning and polishing. A circular movement, not a backward-and-forward one, should always be adopted when cleaning or drying silver to prevent abrasion. It should also be noted that larger pieces of silver should not be cleaned on a hard surface such as a table-top, but should be held against the body so that hard pressure is not exerted on the piece. (more…)