Help on This Silver Mark Please

My mom gave me this clamshell dish to sell, and since I assumed it was silverplate, it's been sitting in a pile for quite a while. Much to my surprise, it tested as sterling.

The mark to me doesn't even look like a "real" mark, but WDIK? Thanks for any help.



View attachment 1507

 

This silver mark seems to be unknown.

7th down in the left column:
http://www.925-1000.com/americansilver__Unk.html

--- Susan

 

According to the query on the following forum, it could be that of the Continental Silver Co.

http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=29645

--- Susan

 

Thank you Susan!

Hmm, both of those say silverplate, but testing gave me an unmistakably sterling result. I made sure to scratch on the edge a few times to be sure I got below any silverplate.

 

Wow, the more I look at those marks, the more I wonder how you found those given that quite a bit of the mark on mine is worn. That is amazing!

Thank you again.

 

Scallop.

How dare you call me a clam!

 

Oh my gosh, that gave me a good laugh! Thank you so much, I needed one!

(unless you're the head of the Scallop Union 305, then I beg your forgiveness)

 

90+% of the time I judge by the looks

I can tell most from a distance

That screams plate

Go to a flat area of the backside, make a scratch with a needle, apply a drop and watch the green bubbles come from the scratch

You should not be doing anything on an edge

 

Ok, I took a knife to the back of this thing (silverettes, please forgive me), and I'm wondering what's up with this reaction? Is it just from the silverplate? Because I scratched it quite deeply with a knife, and I didn't see any green bubbling, just the reddish-brown reaction.

I usually use 18k gold acid for testing silver jewelry, but if I recall correctly, doesn't the reddish brown indicate silver? (and this is why I use gold acid to test silver because I can never get the color indicators right!)

 

If the piece seems to bend easily it may be silverplate on tin (pewter). Tin doesn't react as much as the copper-nickel alloys do.

Rather than transferring your result, you should be looking at the difference between the scratch and surrounding. In a solid piece there would be no difference.

 

The question was answered in posts 2 and 3 - silverplate.

Sadly, this kind of item isn't worth much, so using it as a testing piece, is a good way to learn/practice about at home testing. Oft times the handle is plated pot metal while the dish is plated nickel silver or the like. I like shell shaped dishes, I wish they were more in vogue these days for you sellers.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_from=R40&_nkw=shell+shape+silverplate&LH_Complete=1&rt=nc

 

Okay, gotcha. I should have known that. The area that I put acid on turned pale which I've seen before on non-silver tested items.

 

Oh, I wasn't questioning the "diagnosis" of silverplate - though I probably didn't convey it, I was questioning what I was doing wrong in my testing rather than whether the item actually was silverplate or not.

 

I understand that. I ran out of testing acid long ago and haven't replaced it. I never trusted my own testing on something that was questionable. In this case, the piece is marked for silverplate. I see so many listings where the seller says.....tested for solid silver and it is clearly plated by the marks.

I wish quality silverplate was given it's due aside from a few famous makers. Perhaps someday it will..

 

Second the motion! Much as I Love sterling, (Gee, who would have guessed) there are numerous flatware patterns of which I'd like to have a whole boxfull. Every time Sue brings in one of those long pictures from some site, I go mad over designs I have never seen before.