Historical Silver Vs. Melt Value

When does a piece of silver become worth more because of historical value vs. its melt value? These four platters ( two are sterling, one is .900 and the 4th is .800 silver) were presented to a US Marine Commandant for services performed throughout his career. Three are from foreign governments and one is from the USA.

I've tried to list these items on different web sites. My price was about 30% above scrap. No one was interested. There is about 65 ounces of silver between the four.

I guess I am having a hard time accepting these "historical" platters are only worth their weight in silver. :/

 

The problems are these aren't terribly old, and most Marines don't make enough to afford historic silver. All four look decidedly post-WWII, so they don't have real age to them. To get the real value out of them, they'd have to go into a militaria sale, and even then you might only get the melt weight. Then again scrappers won't pay full melt.

 

the only historical value here.....is to the family...if anyone's left.

 

The first three (I don't see any engravings on them) should sell well. They look gorgeous. The big one at the back with the inscription would be significantly harder, I imagine.

 

Silver maker is important.
Gorham is one that does better, as well as Kirk Steiff.

The one in front looks ordinary, but the filigree and the one to the right of it look interesting.

Problem is many young people do not collect or use silver. They don't want to polish it. We old folks are trying to get rid of things. Which leaves the folks who buy to melt. A shame really.

 

when silver hit $80 an ounce , I watched as hundreds of folks lined up outside exchanges to sell their families silverware, & coins.
That was happening all over the world, yet still, so much survived.

 

Trays and shallow bowls are among the things I find it easiest to buy around melt value for my hoard. There seems to be little demand at auction for them, and I feel sorry for the sellers who could have got about 30% more cash by avoiding the auction and going straight to a good bullion dealer.

 

Are you offering them as a lot or individually? Unless the Commandant is/was someone of note, doubt there'd be much interest generated. Can't really discern much from your pic, but the one on the right appears to be Yogya silver (perhaps the one at left too?), and I've yet to fail in selling any Yogya silver for a fair price. I find the large one at top interesting, perhaps it has some selling features on its own beyond the commemoration? The piece at the bottom appears to just have a simple gadrooned rim, and would suspect any extensive engraving would make it a harder sell...

~Cheryl

 

The platter on the right is from Malaysia so it could be Yogya silver. The largest one is from Columbia and it features that country's crest. The lower right platter is from the NY World's fair. The left is not inscribed but came with a presentation plaque and a photograph with that bowl. That is simply an 800 silver bowl that I suppose, outside of the plaque, is just that--a silver bowl.

The back story is that these four platters were in a box lot with other plated items. They were offered as "box lot of plated articles with tarnish. Good condition." Only one other person noticed the silver but I still got the lot for $160USD.

I'm usually not sentimental about stuff like this and usually prefer the hard cash. However, being a veteran and at that "age" where sentimentality starts to kick in I wonder what will happen to all my earned loot from the military once I meet my maker.

 

This is a timely posting, I was off to enter 800 and 925 trays into a local auction tomorrow morning putting the reserve as scrap plus commission but don't think I'll bother now. I had hoped silver would rocket up in value as it was deemed it made antibiotics far more effective if they had a silver coating.