In today’s troubled times of limited interest rates and the worry of investing in volatile stocks and shares, a great way to invest spare cash is to buy solid silver items. The main decision would be what kind of silver articles you wish to invest in there is a lot to choose from. Everything from tea sets to small silver boxes or tea spoons to silver trays the list is endless. You can even decide what periods of history you wish to collect i.e. 18th, 19th or 20th century. Another way time periods are calculated if you want to be more specific is for example the Georgian period or Victorian period.
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Collecting Silver Boxes Part II
A good and cheap way to start collecting silver boxes is to start collecting Vesta cases. Vesta cases are normally much cheaper than buying Snuff boxes or Vinaigrettes. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes; you will however pay premium prices for novelty Vestas. Some Vesta cases were originally Snuff boxes which have been converted to Vestas. A Vesta case is a case which was for holding old fashioned non safety matches on the base would be a rough edge to strike the match on. Some were highly decorated with engraving or enamel. High prices will be paid for novelty shapes and enamelled Vestas but normal Vesta cases from the early 20th century can be picked up for as little as twenty to thirty pounds. When buying Vestas watch out for splits in the case, make sure the hinge is good and the best ones to collect make sure they snap closed properly and the spring is ok.
Antique Silver Hallmarks Part I
The English hallmarking system can be traced back to 1300 when the guardians duty was to assay and mark every silver item before it was allowed into the outside world. Any item which is made from British sterling silver will usually bear at least four marks. These marks are the makers mark, the Sterling Standard mark, The Town assay mark and the Date letter. In 1554 the lion passant was adopted as the English silver standard mark, the standard silver mark for Scotland the Thistle for Edinburgh in 1759 and Lion Rampant for Glasgow in 1818. In 1975 Edinburgh also adopted the lion rampant.
