Cutlery Silver (800)
Also: table silver, 800 silver, silver cutlery
Cutlery silver refers to solid silver cutlery with a fineness of at least 800 per mille (80%), which was especially widespread in middle-class and aristocratic households during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Anyone inheriting an old cutlery canteen or discovering a heavy table set at a flea market almost always comes across the same mark: 800 – flanked by a crescent moon and crown. These punch marks show that the piece is made of solid silver with a fineness of 800 per mille, meaning it contains 80 % pure silver. Cutlery silver is thus the most commonly encountered form of scrap silver in Germany and Central Europe and possesses a measurable melt value that can be derived directly from the current silver price.
Origin and Historical Background
The 800 alloy established itself in the German-speaking world from the mid-19th century as a compromise: pure silver (999) is too soft for cutlery and scratches quickly; sterling (925) was more expensive and native to the Anglo-Saxon world. 800 silver offered sufficient hardness for daily use and remained affordable for the middle class. The German Imperial Hallmarking Act of 1884 prescribed the crescent-moon-and-crown mark as the official guarantee mark, which came into effect nationwide from 1888 – a system still used today as an identifying feature.
In France, 800 silver was known as deuxième titre (second standard, 800/1000) – the premier titre there denoted the higher 950‰ alloy; Austrian pieces frequently bear the Diana's head together with the numeral 3 for the third fineness standard (800 ‰).
Recognising Marks and Punches
| Feature | Germany | Austria | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fineness figure | 800 | 3 (third standard) | 2 (tweede gehalte) |
| Guarantee mark | Crescent moon + crown | Diana's head | Lion |
| Maker's mark | Initials + town | Initial + coat-of-arms field | Initials |
| Typical era | 1888–1940s | 1866–1922 | 1814–today |
If state guarantee marks are missing, a maker's mark (e.g. WMF, Bruckmann, Koch & Bergfeld) may serve as a clue – but not as proof of fineness. In case of doubt, an X-ray fluorescence analysis or an acid test provides clarity.
Calculating the Melt Value
The material value of a cutlery piece can be determined in three steps:
Melt value = Gross weight (g) × Fineness (0.800) × Silver price (€/g)
Example: A tablespoon weighs 70 g, the silver price is 0.95 €/g.
70 g × 0.800 × 0.95 €/g = €53.20 melt value
The Silver Calculator provides the current silver price in euros per gram; the complete result including the buying deduction is produced by the Melt Value Calculator.
Solid Silver vs. Silver-Plated – The Decisive Difference
Many cutlery pieces look like 800 silver but are merely silver-plated: a thin layer of silver (EPNS – Electroplated Nickel Silver, also called nickel silver) is galvanically applied to a copper or nickel base. These pieces have no appreciable melt value. Identifying features:
- Solid: mark 800 + guarantee mark, evenly heavy
- Silver-plated: mark EPNS, 90, 100 (plating thickness in grams per 24 spoons), WM, no fineness mark
- Wear: on the edges of handles, silver-plated pieces show the yellowish base metal coming through
Buying and Recovery
Scrap-silver dealers and refineries usually pay 75–88 % of the melt value when buying 800 cutlery – depending on quantity, condition and the current market. Complete, well-preserved sets by renowned makers (e.g. Bruckmann, Rückert, Pott) frequently achieve considerably more than the pure material value in the collector and auction market; here it is worth comparing melt proceeds with dealer value.
Tax Classification
When selling cutlery silver from private ownership in Malta, no capital gains tax arises on the private disposal of movable assets such as silver. Maltese capital gains tax applies only to specific assets such as immovable property, securities and business interests – not to precious metal objects held privately. There is no German-style speculation period.
Important: unlike investment gold, silver is not VAT-exempt. Silver is subject to the Maltese standard VAT rate of 18 %. When a dealer buys from a private individual and resells, the margin scheme may apply so that VAT is charged only on the trade margin.
Not tax or investment advice – for binding information please consult a tax adviser.
In Brief
Cutlery silver bearing the mark 800 is solid silver from the era of middle-class table silver and possesses a clearly calculable material value. Anyone who knows the weight, fineness and the up-to-date silver price can determine the melt value in seconds – and then decide whether melting down or resale is the better choice.