Silver Cutlery: Plated vs. Solid
Also: Silver Cutlery, EPNS, Heavy Silver Plate, 800 Cutlery, Table Silver
Solid silver cutlery consists entirely of a silver alloy, whereas silver-plated cutlery carries only a thin silver layer over a base-metal core.
Anyone who inherits an old set of cutlery or finds one at a flea market quickly faces the question: is this valuable table silver – or merely silver-plated metal? The difference in material value is considerable and can be clarified with a few targeted steps.
Solid Silver Cutlery
Solid silver cutlery is made entirely of a silver alloy throughout. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland the fineness of 800 ‰ (800 silver) was the classic standard for table silver; in the Anglo-Saxon world sterling silver at 925 ‰ dominates. A single soup spoon in 800 silver typically weighs 40–60 g and therefore contains 32–48 g of fine silver – a genuine material value that fluctuates with the current silver price.
The marking is found as a struck hallmark (stamp): numbers such as 800, 835, 925, or the British lion symbol (Lion Passant) for sterling. Without a hallmark, caution is advised.
Silver-Plated Cutlery
Silver-plated cutlery carries only an electroplated silver layer on a base material – usually alpaca (nickel silver, a copper-nickel-zinc alloy), less commonly brass or steel. The layer thickness is typically 10–30 micrometres.
Common abbreviations and stamps:
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| EPNS | Electroplated Nickel Silver |
| EPBM | Electroplated Britannia Metal |
| WMF (with crown) | Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik, silver-plated |
| 90 | 90 g silver per 12 pieces (standard plating) |
| 100 | 100 g silver per 12 pieces |
| Heavy plate | min. 40 g per 24 pieces (~1.7 g/piece) |
The silver content of a single silver-plated spoon is 0.1–0.5 g – the pure material value is therefore negligible.
Identification Features Compared
- Check the hallmark: Solid silver bears an official fineness stamp (800, 835, 925). Silver-plated cutlery often shows manufacturer abbreviations (EPNS, WMF, Rogers) or simply no silver marking at all.
- Observe wear: On heavily used areas (inner handle, spoon rim), the yellowish or greyish-white base metal shows through on silver-plated pieces.
- Magnet test: Alpaca and brass are not magnetic – but neither is solid silver. A positive magnet test indicates a steel core (rare, and in that case certainly only plated).
- Weight: Equally sized pieces in solid 800 silver are slightly heavier than alpaca pieces, since silver (10.49 g/cm³) is denser than nickel silver (~8.7 g/cm³).
- Acid test / authenticity check: A drop of silver testing acid on an inconspicuous area shows the characteristic red colour for 800, a stronger red for 925 silver. On plated pieces the base metal becomes visible once the layer is removed.
Calculating the Melt Value
Melt value = weight (g) × fineness (‰ / 1000) × silver price (per g)
Example: An 800 spoon, 50 g, at a silver price of $0.90/g:
50 g × 0.800 × 0.90 $/g = 36.00 $
Calculate the exact value using the melt value calculator or the silver calculator.
Purchase and Disposal
Dealers buy solid silver cutlery as scrap silver at melt value (less a deduction for processing and margin). Silver-plated cutlery is rarely purchased – at most as a collector's piece (makers WMF, Bruckmann, Koch & Bergfeld) or decorative object. The buying price calculator provides indicative values. Note: This article does not constitute tax or investment advice.
Key Takeaway
Solid silver cutlery bears an official fineness hallmark (800, 835, 925) and has genuine material value – silver-plated cutlery contains only traces of silver on a base-metal core and has virtually no material value. The hallmark is decisive.