835 Silver

835 silver denotes a silver alloy with a fineness of 835 per mille - so of every 1,000 parts by weight, 835 are pure silver and 165 parts are alloying metal, predominantly copper. This standard was the most widespread alloy for table silver, cutlery and better-quality jewellery across Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Scandinavia from the late 19th century well into the 20th. Anyone valuing or buying old silver from family estates meets 835 ware particularly often.

Composition and properties

The 16.5 % copper gives the alloy considerably more hardness and abrasion resistance than fine silver (999), which is what makes it practical for everyday cutlery in the first place. Pure silver is too soft to hold spoon edges and fork tines over time. Copper also raises the fluidity of the melt and eases casting and stamping.

One drawback of the copper share: the alloy tarnishes more heavily than sterling or fine silver (tarnishing), as copper sulphides form more quickly at the surface. Regular polishing or storage in airtight conditions helps prevent this.

Finenesses compared

Hallmarks and identifying marks

In Germany the hallmarking of silverware was regulated by law. Until 1888 silver was usually stamped with the crescent mark (a lying half-moon) and the number 835. After the introduction of the uniform imperial mark, the number 835 appeared alone or combined with the maker's mark and the mark of the assay authority.

To check the fineness of a piece without a hallmark, the following methods can be applied:

1. Streak test - a rub on a touchstone, compared against test acid (a nitric-acid solution)
2. X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) - a non-destructive, precise determination by a dealer or valuer
3. Density measurement (Archimedes' principle) - 835 silver has a density of about 10.3 g/cm3

Calculating the melt value

The metal value of a silver piece follows from the gross weight, the fineness and the current silver price:

Melt value = gross weight (g) x 0.835 x silver price (EUR/g)

You will find the current silver price and a ready-set tool under calculate melt value. Note: on buy-back, dealers usually apply a deduction from the calculated melt value to cover melting and processing costs. With the buying price calculator you can estimate the realistic proceeds.

Historical context

The 835 standard arose in the German Empire as a compromise between metal value and workability. It was cheaper than sterling silver (925) yet offered far more substance than later 800 ware. During the Gruenderzeit and the Art Nouveau period, elaborate table-silver services, coffee pots, sugar bowls and jewellery were produced in 835 silver - many of them still survive today as heirlooms or flea-market finds.

After the Second World War, 835 silver lost ground to stainless steel and silver-plated cutlery. As collector items and for further processing (melting, reworking), however, such pieces remain in demand.

Tax notes

In Ireland the sale of silverware - cutlery, jewellery, table silver - carries the standard VAT rate of 23 %. There is no VAT exemption for silver as there is for investment gold; silver investment coins are likewise not VAT-exempt. When a dealer buys second-hand silver from a private person, the margin scheme may be applied, so that VAT falls only on the trade margin.

For a private seller, any gain is chargeable to Capital Gains Tax at 33 %, after the annual personal exemption of EUR 1,270. There is no holding-period relief - unlike Germany, where a holding period of over one year under Paragraph 23 EStG removes the tax, Irish CGT applies however long the piece was held. This is not tax advice - for individual cases please consult the Revenue Commissioners (revenue.ie) or a qualified adviser.

In brief

835 silver stands for a robust Central European standard with 83.5 % silver content that shaped generations of table silver. Anyone who owns old cutlery or jewellery can quickly work out the calculated metal value with the silver calculator.