Before it was customary in setting a table with cutlery or flatware was introduced in the 17^th century spoons and knives were personnel possessions everyone had their own spoon and fork. It was normally only the rich who could afford silver flatware. To have silver flatware was a great advantage over any other type of flatware as germs cannot grow on Silver. Spoons have been used since before the Roman times and because of this more spoons have survived than any other type of flatware.

The humble spoon is the most personal of all the pieces of silver flatware. In medieval times the custom of giving a silver spoon as a baptism present started. These spoons were highly treasured by the recipient and were carried throughout their lifetime. This is where the phrase being “born with a silver spoon in your mouth” comes from as depending on what quality of the silver spoon you had, showed everyone the social significance as wealth and status were linked to the spoon you carried.

Prior to the 16^th century the spoon was used to eat food with unless you were eating sweetmeats or desserts when a fork would be used. However in the 16^th century the fork began to be taken up by continental Europe. This practice was picked up by Charles II when he was in exile in France and brought to England when the monarchy was restored in 1660. From the early 18^th century sets of matching silver flatware was being made in a vast arrange of patterns.

Styles of Silver Flatware

Old English pattern silver flatware is a simple pattern where the handle remains undecorated and the terminal features a central inward point. This type of pattern has been used from the mid 18^th century and is a derivative of the Hanoverian pattern

Fiddle pattern is the most commonly used patterns from the 19^th Century; however you can find examples of this pattern from about 1760’s. The fiddle pattern is so named because the handle resembles that of a violin. There are variations in this pattern called Fiddle and Thread, plus Fiddle Thread and Shell.

King’s is an elaborate pattern with waisted sides and features a scallop shell and anthemion motifs which became popular in the regency period. Similar to the King’s is the Queen’s pattern which is very similar with even more elaborate, with a convex shell motif. There are also even more diverse styles all very similar such as Victoria, Albert, King’s husk and Coberg patterns which are all basically the same with minor differences.

Flatware embellishment continued with the Bead pattern where a continuous border of beaded decoration was around the edges. Other styles such as Albany, Onslow, Lily, Sandringham and Dubarry pattern became popular in the 19^th and 20^th century.

Another feature which became very popular with flatware was Bright-cut engraving this is where facets are cut into the surface leaving shiny appearance instead of normal engraved lines. It is normally found on the Old English pattern and the Celtic Point variant as these were more suited to the Bright-cut Engraving.

Early Silver Spoons

One of the earliest types of spoon was the apostle spoon dating from around the 15^th Century; however these spoons have continued to be made right up to the present day. The first apostle spoons were larger than the ones made later on about the same size as a dessert spoon and on the end of the handle of each one was an apostle.

Other types of early spoons were the seal top spoon which had a flat end just like a seal but this was not what they were used for they date from the 16^th and 17^th Century. Then you can have a Slip top spoon which had a hexagonal stem which was cut off at an angle at the end these types of spoon date from the 17^th Century.

The silver Trefid spoon dates from about 1660 to 1700 has a flat stem which the end is divided into three sections. This type of spoon was superseded  by the Dog Nosed spoon in 1700 which although very similar to the trefid has rounded distinctive terminal. Both the Trefid and the Dog Nosed silver spoons come in various variations such as fancy back, picture back. Lace back, rat-tail and fancy rat-tail designs on the back of the bowl.

Once these spoons became less popular they were over taken by the Old English pattern and all the other different styles mentioned above. The silver spoon was the most popular choice for collectors to collect due to the fact there are lots of different types, styles and variations to collect and it is the oldest of all the silver flatware.

Different types of Silver Spoon

There are lots of different types of spoons such as Serving spoons which were first used in the mid 17^th Century but became more popular in the 1700’s. They are medium to large in size and normally over 12 inches long, used to serve vegetables etc from serving dishes to the plate.

Berry Spoons are normally old Georgian spoons which the Victorians later decorated with highly embossed fruit. They are mostly gilt in finish or highly polished and were used to serving fruit. Soup spoons, Dessert spoons, Tea spoons, Table spoons, Gravy spoons, Basting spoon, Hash spoon, Mash spoon, Fruit spoons, Salt spoon, Coffee spoons and grapefruit spoons are all self explanatory. You can also find Marrow spoons or scoops these were used for getting the marrow from bones. Caddy spoons which were used in tea caddies. Sifter spoons which were used for sifting sugar or castor suger.

As you can see there are lots of different types of spoons you can collect add to that you can also get silver and enamel spoons. Spoons are easy to collect because their are so many different types add to this the fact that spoons were the first piece of flatware used by everyone there are lots still about. Another great thing about collecting spoons is that there is normally a spoon for every type of budget.

Early Georgian Silver Candlesticks

By the 1730’s Georgian Silver candlesticks had become taller with spool-shaped sconces and a richer ornamentation of pleated of lobed forms. Another innovation was in 1740’s the candlestick had removable sconces or nozzles. These Georgian silver candlesticks were still not very ornate but mostly plain in design, you can pick up a reasonable pair of George II candlesticks for around the £2,500 to £1,500 depending on size, maker and condition.

In the mid 18^th century the French Rococo style became very popular mainly due to the Huguenot silversmith influence. Rococo Silver candlesticks are highly decorated or ornate cast and chased styles with extravagant designs. These are highly sought after especially versions by silversmiths such as Paul Crespin, James Shruder and Paul de Lamerie who produced fine examples of rococo Georgian silver candlesticks for the rich and wealthy. A set of 4 Rococo Georgian silver candlesticks by the famous Paul de Lamerie were sold for £60,000, so as you can see the age sometimes does not matter but the maker can be highly sought after.

Later Georgian Silver Candlesticks

Towards the end of the 18^th century there was an introduction to neo-classicism which brought about changes in the shape of the candlestick. The use of the square base coupled with the Corinthian column style stem and the urn-shaped nozzle or sconce with gadrooning swags, beading, reeding and stylized foliage made the silver candlesticks look very Roman in design. Coupled with this was the industrialization  in Birmingham and Sheffield enabled mass production of loaded candlesticks, this made the owning of silver candlesticks available to more people, so more of these examples are available and you can pick up a decent set of four George III silver candlesticks from about 1777 for £3,000 to £4,000.

During the Regency period from 1790 – 1820 candlesticks were becoming increasingly ornate with lavish foliage and scrolls to the base, around the top of the stem and around the socket. The Rococo style became very popular and very ornate candlesticks were frequently being produced. During this period the rounded base also became popular so most candlesticks produced during the Regency period had the rounded base. Cast silver candlesticks are very few from this period due to the expense of producing them. The new mechanized method of making candlesticks was much cheaper and more practical. After the Regency period we had a very short William IV which is the last of the Georgian period and just carried on from the Regency period for styling and designs.

Victorian Silver Candlesticks

During the first part of the Victorian Period lots of the 17^th and 18^th century styles were revived and one of the most popular was the rococo style which was reflected by the Victorians desire for novelty decoration. The different sorts of novelty decoration the Victorians liked were rustic figures of shepherds, caryatids and knights in armour were very popular.

Their was also a revival of column candlesticks decorated with diverse border patterns, in a backlash against mass-produced candlesticks and the access to the new Japanese arts asymmetry started to have a influence on the styles the Victorians adopted.  The Victorians were also responsible for altering the plain candlesticks of the Georgian period by adding later decoration to them, this can affect their price.

Towards the end of the 19^th and beginning of the 20^th century there was two changes to the styles the Victorians started to favour. There was the Art Nouveau style which was inspired by the flowing lines of nature and asymmetrical design. One of the most popular makers of this type of style was Archibald Knox who made candlesticks for the Liberty & co which is a much loved by Silver Candlestick collectors, as an example a pair of candlesticks by Knox in the art nouveau style would cost £3,000 to £4,000.

At nearly the same time another style started to become very popular was the Arts and Crafts style this had an emphasis on fine craftsmanship, quality materials and a simple honest design. The Arts and Crafts clean and geometric designs was championed by William Morris who is another great silversmith who collectors love to have an example of his work in their collection, as an example of price a pair of candlesticks by him made in 1905 will set you back about £1,500 for a pair.

After the Victorians

Silver Candlesticks in the 20^th century encompassed a host of different styles from the last of the Arts and Crafts plus the Art Nouveau to the Art Deco and the revivals of all the previous styles and the minimalist modern designs. Most of the contemporary candlesticks have been made in pairs or fours. Candlesticks from the 1950’s and later are not generally as popular and this means you can pick up a nice pair or set of Silver candlesticks for reasonable prices.

The mass production methods used in the 20^th century and the host of candlesticks which were made in the revival styles in the 1930’s allows you to pick up a very nice pair of good condition candlesticks in the Georgian or Victorian style for under £300 and although you will not have the genuine pair of Georgian or Victorian candlesticks they will look exactly the same as owning a real pair.

One 20^th century maker who bucks this trend is the Danish silversmith Georg Jenson whose designs are still being produced by the Jenson Factory. Any silver objects with the Georg Jenson name always gets lots of interest and commands high prices. He has become one of the more collectable of the 20^th century Candlestick makers. You will probably be looking at between £3,000 to £3,500 for a nice pair of Georg Jenson Silver Candlesticks.

Silver Candlesticks are one of the most popular and common collectable silver items, this is not surprising as they were used by everyone for daily lighting. Most candlesticks made before the mid 17^th century are rare to find, because they were melted down for coins or because they were worn. These candlesticks were very light as they were made from thin sheets of silver, however by the late 17^th century the expensive and sophisticated technique of using casting to make solid silver candlesticks had been developed by Huguenot craftsmen who fled from France.

By the 1770’s mechanization was making the production of candlesticks made from stamping “loaded” silver candlesticks from sheet silver, the bases would be loaded with plaster, pitch, wood and resin, the bases were loaded to keep the candlestick stable and prevent it from falling over as easy. Lots of these were produced in Birmingham and Sheffield and this allowed the Silver Candlestick to become available to almost everyone not just the church and gentry.

Another variation of the candlestick is a smaller but portable version called a chamber Stick, these silver chamber sticks were used to provide light on the way to bed, and some of these silver chamber sticks are complete with a snuffer. A snuffer is a device to allow you to extinguish the other candlesticks as you go up to bed. Other candlestick accessories include wick trimmers which as the name suggests are used to trim the wick of the candle and taper sticks which were used to light the candles around the house from one source as matches were not available or very expensive.

Candelabra are big versions of candlesticks and holds lots of candles at once; these were used by the upper classes to illuminate the big dining tables or large rooms they were also used by the church. Due to the size and because they are made from thicker silver the Candelabra are lots more valuable and better preserved, the earliest examples normally date from the mid 17^th century, however most of these are in private collections and normally you can come across various silver candelabra from the late 18^th and 19^th century to the present day.

Early Silver Candlesticks

The early silver candlesticks as mentioned before are very rare to find, however it is not impossible to find although if you do find a very early example you will normally pay premium prices for it and it might not be in good condition. Due to the lightness of the silver used on early candlesticks the bases are large and are not very tall this was to counterbalance the candle. They are normally very plain and examples from the 1680’s onwards could be heavier and taller due to the introduction of casting, ornate designs could also be used.

A pair of Charles II candlesticks which are  in good condition, very light and short with a wide base and very plain design would nowadays cost between £20,000 to £25,000 as they are very rare to find. However a pair of William and Mary 1694 cast candlesticks which are more ornate, heavier, and much taller which have had major repairs will still set you back between £8,000 to £12,000.

Queen Anne style candlesticks come in two forms the rarest is the Doric fluted columns which were made of sheet silver, they were highly decorated in the form of Greek rounded columns and had a wide ornate base with built in drip pan to catch the wax and prevent burning. These are very vulnerable to damage due to the thinness of the silver. The second type of Queen Anne style is the more typical cast style of silver candlestick, normally made from Britannia silver which is finer and softer than sterling silver they are normally quite plain, have smaller bases and have small canted oblong or octagonal stems which are usually baluster. The decoration is normally minimal and maybe a coat-of-arms or an armorial. Queen Anne silver candlesticks normally cost between £5,000 and £8,000 but can be higher depending on condition, size, style and provenance.

Collecting Silver Candlesticks as early as these is going to cost lots of money and you will be very lucky to come across lots of decent examples. However if you do have the money and find the right candlestick for you then buy it, as its price will only get higher and become an investment.

Raising Silver

This is the most expensive of all the shaping techniques and one which is very labour intensive. Raising silver is normally used when producing bowls, dishes, drinking vessels and other hollow wares. The silver is raised from a flat disk of silver which has been hammered or cast from a silver ingot. It is then cut to the right size and hammered into the desired shape, using a anvil and hammer.

However in the mid eighteenth century rolling mills made this process easier and the end result was a commercial production of sheet silver made in a standard gauge. The hammering of the silver into the shape required makes marks on the interior of the object,  this is removed and smoothed by a special broad headed hammer to make the smooth finish call planishing. Some arts and Craft pieces keep the hammer marks and you end up with a hammered effect on the object, which gives them appeal of there own.

Working with Sheet Silver

Silversmiths generally worked with pieces of sheet silver when producing items such as beakers, tankards and larger objects such as wine coolers. The use of sheet silver greatly reduced the amount of time needed to produce these pieces, making them more affordable due to reduced time and cost incurred in production. The seam where the silver sheeting meets is normally soldered or welded together to form a watertight join. The more complex pieces of the object such as handles or feet and borders were normally made from casting the silver into shape. Items of silver made from sheet silver is normally lighter than pieces of silver made from casting the silver which makes it easier for identification.

Casting Silver

Silver objects which have intricate shapes and designs such as candlesticks, and components of large items such as handles, finials, spouts, legs, feet and borders cannot be made from pieces of sheet silver, so they are cast separately then attached to the main item. The silver is melted into a liquid and poured into a mould which has been made into the desired shape. The silver is then cooled and once the silver is solid it is removed from the mould and finished by hand polishing then attached to the required object.

Cast objects are normally heavier and more solid than there raised counterparts and the undersides or inside of the cast object is usually left quite rough from the mould. Another method of casting is to wax cast. This is where a wax model of the object being produced is made and then covered with clay or plaster to create a mould then the wax is melted and poured from the mould and replaced with liquid silver once the silver is cool and hardens the mould is broken away, this is normally only used for one off pieces due to the expense of destroying the mould.

Filigree Silver

Filigree silver is a highly decorative technique of twisting or plating fine silver wires into intricate patterns of geometric or foliate ornament and then you solder the wires together. Filigree decorations are normally produced as a separate piece of work and then applied unsupported as an openwork border or soldered onto a flat plate on things like boxes or buttons. You can also get filigree spoons especially caddy spoons. Filigree items are normally very delicate and quite small such as vinaigrettes, card cases and pill boxes as well as spoons.

However the art of filigree has also been used on larger items such as inkstands, candlesticks as caskets with much success. Filigree was popular throughout Europe in the 17^th century and in Britain in the late 17^th century and again in the 19^th century during the revival period. Take care when buying filigree items as they are normally damaged due to their delicate nature, this will reduce the value of the object if the filigree is not perfect.

Stamping Silver

The technique of stamping silver was introduced into Britain in the late 18^th century and still continues to be used to mass produce items such as bonbon dishes, dressing table sets, photograph frames and loaded candlesticks.

The method used for stamping silver is to get a thin sheet of silver and place it between two dies which are of the required shape and pattern. One of the dies has the pattern cut into it and the other die has the pattern marked out in relief form. Mechanical pressure is the placed on the dies forcing them together with the thin sheet of silver in between, when you open the dies again you will find the silver sheet has taken on the shape of the pattern on the dies.

You normally find unless the item is loaded such as candlesticks that Stamped silver items are very thin and flimsy. If you are buying Stamped silver care must be taken to check carefully  for damage, as being made of thin silver this happens quite easy, you can also get holes in the silver quite easy, so you must use a jewellery loop(like a little magnifying glass) to check for damage as this will also affect the price.

I hope you now know all the different ways silver objects are produced and the more you see and handle nice silver items the more you will be able to identify how the item was made, so you can check it easier for damage.

Cleaning your Silver

Very heavily tarnished Silver items should be cleaned by an expert, however for items which have a medium tarnish or light tarnish you can clean them with a proprietary cleaner. The new cleaners today also have a tarnish inhibitor, so you don’t have to clean your silver as often and cleaning can be replaced with light dusting or wash in mild soapy water.
Care must be taken not to over polish your Silver Collection as each time you clean your items a thin layer of silver will be deposited on your cleaning cloth. Silver dips can be effective for larger pieces, however they must be used with care and sparingly as with other methods of cleaning if you clean your items too often you will wear away the silver, especially the hallmarks and bright-cut engraving, items made from thin layers of silver and pierced silver items are vulnerable to splitting. You can remove some tarnish by using a mixture of washing soda and water, this is especially good for cleaning the inside of tea and coffee pots which are heavily stained.
Special care must be taken with Candlesticks and knives as these items normally have loaded bases and handles, this means it is a thin layer of silver over a resin, tar or plaster. If these loaded items get too hot the silver will start to separate from the filling and split or lift. Candlesticks with loaded bases should not be left in direct sunlight for the same reason. Do not wash silver items with loaded handles in very hot water or a dishwasher as the handles will expand and separate from the blade. Cutlery with ivory, mother of pearl and enamel should also have care taken when cleaning as you don’t want to scratch or damage them.

Storing your Silver

If you want to show off your silver collection then a display cabinet is a must. The best display cabinet which you can afford and as air tight as possible as this stops the silver from tarnishing. If you are not going to show your silver collection the best option is to place the items in an airtight draw or cupboard as dampness is the big threat to your silver. Silver items with wooden handles its best to treat the handle with a nice bit of bees wax to stop it drying out or cracking.
Wrap your silver in acid free tissue paper and if possible place the item in a sealed polythene bag. When handling your silver it is best to wear cotton gloves, this stops the acid in your sweat from harming you silver. Do not lift any objects by the lid as you could damage the hinge, be very careful when cleaning to support the item and don’t put too much pressure on the item as you can quite easily damage the silver item.

Restoring your Silver

The general rule when buying Silver for a collection or investment is to avoid buying pieces which have been restored. However sometimes this is unavoidable as silver in its original condition is rare and rare pieces or rare hallmarks and pieces by famous makers will sometimes need to be restored. If buying at auction as for a condition report and buying on-line ask questions about restoration , even ask sellers in shops and fairs if any of the pieces you are interested in have been restored and repaired, if the answer is yes, you can sometimes reduce the amount you are going to pay for the item, but make sure you look carefully yourself if possible, as the final decision will rest with you.
Any Repairs or Restoration which you need to do to your silver items should be done by a competent Silversmith, if you have any doubts give them a small repair to do first to see what their quality of work is and how much they will charge you, if you are satisfied you can then let them repair any major items or work you need doing. Ask dealers in silver if they can recommend anyone, some dealers do their own repairs. In the end it will be up to you to decide whether a piece of silver needs repair or restoration, take care as by doing this you can devalue your investment, however if the work done is sympathetic you can increase the value of a damaged item.

Security of your Silver Collection

One of the most important aspect when building up a silver collection is the security of your items, silver has traditionally been one of the most attractive items to steal. If you have a collection of small items such as snuff boxes or pin cushions it would not take up too much room or trouble to steal these items, big items such as tea sets are a bit more trouble to hide but still worth stealing due to their weight and value.
When showing off your collection make sure you exercise discretion, do not put your display in full view of anyone passing your house, try to keep the display in a rear or upstairs room with as limited access as possible. When buying silver try to keep your home address from staff or passers by ask the dealers and auction houses to keep your identity confidential. Make sure you have an alarm system in place where you are keeping your silver.
One of the most important things is to make sure you get the right insurance for your silver collection. You will probably have to get a separate policy for your silver and check the small print for exemptions and rules you have t abide by. Make sure you keep the insurance policy up to date and check if regularly especially if you have just bought new items which might not be covered or the amount is not enough. Keep accurate records of your silver collection including values and good descriptions of each item, which is useful for the police if they are trying to trace an owner of recovered items.

If you do all the things above I am sure you will have a great collection of Silver, which will become a very good investment for the future and will give you pleasure in collecting now. You will also have a safe and sound knowledge you have great items which are fully protected as much as possible.

Where you start your collection from will depend on two things and they are firstly what type of silver appeals to you such as item, maker, assay office, style and period. The second thing is what you can afford too buy, you should aim to buy the best you can afford for example the best quality and condition which is available for your budget. Some People tend to concentrate on a particular period such as Georgian, others styles such as Rococo, some like to collect silver by certain makers such as Hestor Bateman or certain types of item such as Snuff Boxes. The choice is vast and before you start collecting I would recommend you learn as much about silver as you can from Books or on the internet. You can get the touch and feel of Silver from visiting Auctions, Antique Fairs and Shops this will give you experience on how silver feels and the quality it comes in.

So the Collectors checklist should be:
Buy and collect what you Like
Buy the Best Quality and Condition you can afford
Learn about Silver from Books and Websites
Gain experience handling silver from Auctions, Fairs and Shops
How much space your collection is going to take up and where will you keep it
Insure you collection for the correct amount and make adjustments regularly

When you are ready to start buying silver for your collection and have decided what you are going to collect, depending on where you are going to buy your silver from will decide what sort of checklists you need to use, too make sure you do not make any mistakes which can be costly and disappointing. As mentioned before there are lots of places which you can buy silver items for your collection from and I will give you a Basic Checklist for each one.

If you decide to buy some of your Silver Collection from an Auction there are a few things you need to know. Auction Houses can have specialist silver sales which is great for the silver collector as lots of silver items come up for sale at once, however some good silver items are normally in most Auctions. If you are buying an item from an on-line auction site such as eBay make sure you check the sellers feedback and carefully check the description of the item and make sure you ask as many questions you need to on condition of the item if its not in the description.

The Auction checklist should be:
Read thoroughly the catalogue or description of the item you want
If at a normal auction take your time with the viewing
Carefully check for damage or any discrepancy in the catalogue and the item
Stick to you limits when bidding for an item, don’t get carried away and bid too much
Don’t forget auction houses also charge commission which has to be added to the final price
If bidding on-line check out the feedback of the seller and carefully check the description
On-line buying you normally have a returns policy but most auction houses sell as seen so take care

Although buying Silver from an Antiques dealer can be one of the more expensive methods of getting a nice piece of sterling silver, however you can also find the odd gem hidden away in there stock. You can also do deals with dealers and get discount or barter the price down. Antiques fairs or shops, junk and charity shops and car boot or garage sales can also contain Silver gems for a great price you just have to be careful and check the item out very carefully for damage, repairs, restoration and fakes.

Buying from Dealers, Shops, Fairs and Car boot/garage sales checklist:

Take your time when deciding what to buy, don’t rush into buying the first thing you see
Check the item for Damage, Restoration or repairs, this will affect the price
Haggle for the best price possible or do a deal for multiple items
Get a detailed receipt if possible
Make sure you check very carefully for fakes(they will not feel or look right)
Try to get the dealers address, if there is a problem with the item you can then take it back

If you do all the right checks when buying your silver you should be able to make a great silver collection which will turn into a great investment and not cost you the earth. Good hunting and I hope this article has been some help.

If you have any pieces of antique silver that are damaged you should never try and repair them yourself … but always use a professional restorer.

The most important aspect of keeping silver clean is preventing tarnish. All silver will develop tarnish over time, due to coming into contact with sulphur, which is found in the air. A small amount of tarnish can be removed from your silver by using a specifically designed silver cleaner. Once it is clean you can keep your silver looking good by just washing in soapy water, rinsing and drying carefully with a soft cloth.

Too much polishing can also damage hallmarks. If you must polish your silver regularly, you can protect the hallmarks by covering them with a small piece of tape, whilst you are cleaning the item.

Silver dip can be used to clean larger items such as large Trophy cups, and they can also be useful for items with ornate decoration. However, these must be used with great care and insure you do not leave the object in the dip too long as it can actually damage the silver.

Pierced silver items tend to be very delicate and should only be cleaned with extreme care, as the piercing can split. It is better to clean, pierced items with a soft brush in soapy water, rather than a cloth and polish as the cloth can catch in the piercing.

Some silver items should never be immersed in water, including tea or coffee pots with wooden or ivory handles and cutlery with bone or ivory handles. Also, any candlesticks that have weighting in the base should not be submerged in water as it can cause damage. Never put any silver items in the dishwasher, and the same applies to silver plated items.

If you’re buying antique silver as an investment or to add to your collection, try and avoid buying any items that have been restored, as this will reduce their value. It can be difficult to tell if the piece has been restored, but if you’re buying from a reputable dealer, they should tell you. You may however find some very old pieces that have had the restoration work carried out, and it may still be worth acquiring them.

Once you have your silver collection looking as you would like it, the best place to keep it is in a silver display cabinet. Having it in a display cabinet will keep it safe from potential hazards such as small children who may want to play with the nice shiny things. A beautiful display of your antique silver collection will be a pleasure to look at and a talking point for your guests.

Depending on how much you want to spend, the amount of space you have to store your items and what you are interested in will help you choose what you want to collect. Small silver items such as card cases, snuff boxes, vinaigrettes, pin cushions, spoons and cutlery are all very popular items to collect. Some people like to collect an item from each year from a certain time period. A friend of ours used to collect tea spoons from each year of the 18th century. Others like to collect items from a certain assay office i.e. Birmingham, or from certain silversmiths such as the famous Nathanial Mills or Hester Bateman are always very popular.

Although silver has a scrap price at which you will be able to sell your items, this will bear no relationship to how much most silver items cost. Calculating the cost of buying silver items depends on lots of different things such as: The current silver price, Condition of the item, Age of the item, Maker of the item, Rarity of the item are just a few things to take into consideration. A good way to price the objects you want to collect is research on the internet on auction sites such as eBay, go to a normal auction near where you live, this can be very helpful as some auction houses will have specialist silver auctions or check out the items in books, although you have to be careful when using books as they will not keep track of the current price that silver items sell for as it will be dependent on when the book was published.

One of the best things about collecting silver is as with gold silver is hallmarked. This means you will be able to tell where it was made, when it was made and normally who made it. Each country has its own hallmarks. In the UK we have our own hallmarks the normal assay offices in the UK are London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Glasgow, also Dublin in Ireland. There are other Assay offices which have now closed such as Newcastle, Chester, Exeter, York Norwich and many more what is called provincial silver such as Perth and Bristol. You will normally pay more for silver which is hallmarked Exeter than you would for the same item with a London hallmark and you would pay a premium price for the same item with a Perth or provincial silver hallmark as these items are very rare to come across. Some collectors only collect Provincial silver items and will search for years for one particular provincial hallmark.

The scope for collecting silver is enormous and it will be up to the individual what they want to collect. You might just decide on collecting whatever comes along or specialise in a particular thing. What ever you decide to collect I believe it will only increase in price a lot more than placing your money in a bank for the interest and will be safer than speculating on stocks and shares. All you have to do is a bit of research on whatever you decide to collect or buy as an investment. There are still a lot of good deals to be made on collecting silver, one of my favourite places to buy would be the antiques market at Kempton race course, there are a lot of silver dealers who go there to sell their items and you can always make a deal with them, sometimes it works out cheaper to buy from them than at an auction, just remember with silver condition and quality are always going to increase in price and be a good investment.

Another group of silver boxes that are not quite as rare or expensive is the dental, medical, lancet and toilet boxes. Silver Dental boxes are normally oblong in shape and were used to hold toothpicks, toothpowder and sometimes a toothbrush. Most date from the late 18th early 19th century and many were very plain in design. The Silver Lancet or Phlebotomy cases were used to hold lancets to allow the bleeding of the patient most date from the 18th and 19th century as with the dental box they were normally oblong in shape but most had an engraved design on the outside and a hinged lid. Medical boxes are quite rare and normally look like a big silver locket on opening the medical box you normally see what looks like a clock inside. The medical box would contain medicine and the hands of the clock would be set to the time the next dose of medicine was to be taken. These boxes normally date from the 18th century and are quite rare.

Silver card cases are a very nice box to collect they are normally oblong in shape and there is a wide variety of designs to collect. One of the most expensive card cases to have in your collection is the Castle Top Card Case which are highly decorated normally in the centre of each side will be a picture of a building such as Alnwick Castle, some have a different design on the back than the front, these castle tops will sell for about £1000 and above for a good example. There are cheaper card cases and you can pick up more basic ones for about £40 to £50. Most card cases date from the 19th and 20th century although you can get some older ones from the 18th century. Be careful of splits in the case and check the hinge of the lid is ok, you will also have to be wary about buying castle tops as due to the prices they fetch there are quite a few fakes on the market. The famous five from Birmingham were prolific makers of card cases, snuff boxes and vinaigrettes and if you wanted to specialise in an area then collecting the works of the famous five i.e. Mills, Pemberton, Willmore, Linwood and Taylor, then you couldn’t go wrong as items from these makers are of the highest quality, however are a bit more expensive than other makers.

The Pyx box was used for storing the consecrated wafers used in communion services. These boxes were normally round in shape as per the wafers they stored. Most were engraved and had a loop to fix the box to a chain. As you would expect these Pyx boxes are not nearly as common as all the other boxes, as they were normally only made for the clergy. Although they are not the most striking of all the boxes they are however very rare and so premium prices will be paid for them. Sweetmeat boxes as with the Pyx box are not very common and date from the 17th century, sweetmeat or candy was a prerogative of the rich during the 16th and 17th centuries and so boxes for holding sweetmeat were made for individuals of rank who could afford sweetmeat. As with the Pyx box, sweetmeat boxes will be very rare and very high prices will be paid for the box.

Another quite rare box to collect is the Oval Amatory Spice box, as the name suggests this is an oval box which pinch-sides which means to open the box you press on the sides of the box. They were normally engraved and normally date from the 17th and 18th century. They were used to hold cinnamon, cloves, nutmegs or medicinal powders. So as with the two boxes above only the rich had them and so this makes them very rare and expensive. Another box which although fairly expensive is not nearly as rare as the boxes above is the nutmeg grater, you should be able to pick up a standard nutmeg grater from the 18th or 19th century for about 600 to 800 pounds. Nutmeg graters date from about 1650 to about 1865 and as the name suggests was used to grate nutmeg. They come in various shapes and sizes but normally consist of a grater to grate the nutmeg inside a container which sometimes was used to catch the grated nutmeg. The more decorated or unusual the shape of the nutmeg grater then the more you will pay for it.