Sell silver-plated cutlery and pewter
Not worthless, just calculated differently from solid silver. Here's how to tell the difference.
Solid silver, silver-plated or pewter?
For the calculation, these are three different things. The hallmark sits at the end of the handle or on the base.
Solid silver
Silver right through. Hallmarked 800 or 925, with the fineness applying to the whole piece.
Silver-plated
Nickel silver or brass with a thin silver coating. Often hallmarked 90, 100, 150 or Alpacca.
Pewter
A metal in its own right, with its own price. Hallmarked tin, pewter, or with an angel mark.
Hallmarks on silver-plated cutlery
A magnifying glass helps. Can't find a mark? We'll check it in the shop.
| Hallmark | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 800 and 925 | Solid silver. Fineness in thousandths, for the whole piece. Belongs on Silver and watches. |
| 90, 100, 150 | Coating: grams of fine silver per twelve tablespoons. |
| Alpacca, EPNS | A coating on nickel silver or brass. EPNS stands for electro-plated nickel silver. |
| Tin, pewter, angel | Pewter. A metal in its own right, with its own price. The angel is an old pewter hallmark. |
What silver-plated cutlery and pewter are worth
Honestly first: with silver-plated items, the return is small. You're paid for the fine silver in the coating, not the weight in your hand. With pewter, it's the pewter price that counts.
Two spoons and a tankard are often not worth the trip. A whole canteen is more likely to be, because the weight adds up there.
| Silver-plated items | CHF {{PVERS}} per kilogram |
|---|---|
| Pewter | CHF {{PZINN}} per kilogram |
| What it depends on | The coating; for pewter, the pewter price |
Both figures are still open. Until they're fixed, we won't put a number here that we can't stand by.
We'd rather have that uncomfortable conversation on the phone
With silver-plated cutlery inherited from parents, the amount is often disappointing. That's simply down to the thin silver layer. Send us a photo of the hallmark and the open case first, so you don't carry it across town for nothing.
Frequently asked questions about silver-plate and pewter
The valuation costs nothing and comes with no obligation.
My cutlery is marked 100. Is that silver?
There's silver on it, but it's not solid silver. The 100 states the grams of fine silver per twelve tablespoons, i.e. the coating. Solid silver is marked 800 or 925.
Do you even take silver-plated items and pewter?
Yes, both. We'll tell you what it comes to before settling up. If it doesn't suit you, take everything back with you.
Show us the hallmark first
A photo of the end of the handle is enough. We'll tell you whether it's worth the trip.