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Message:: [QUOTE="MrNate, post: 4468155, member: 5515"]Hey Frank, those are the only marks. I can certainly understand the concern with purchases of these types of items, and it always feels great when we have traditional silver markings. In this case, we know that there are many countries in the world that have varying markings/standards. Here's a few thoughts on why an item like this would have been worth my time regardless of the marks: 1. First thing I noted was the pattern of the tarnish; nice deep/dark tarnish in the cracks and crevices (non-uniform) is always a big positive for me. 2. The flexion of the metal felt correct given the thickness. Not a rigid bend, but also not super bendy (common of quadruple plate items). 3. Weight felt correct, not super heavy given it's dimensions (a giveaway indicator for silverplated brass) 4. No noticeable copper/brass showing, or two tone on the base indicating nickel silver. 5. The most important clue other than the markings; the level of detail of the piece, the tooling marks, the sheer amount of time it would have taken to add the details. This to me, is the secret to finding pieces without marks or odd marks from other parts of the world. If someone is going to spend hours and hours meticulously adding details, they are often doing so so they can be paid a good sum. Not definitive, but a strong indicator that this a piece may be crafted out of silver.[/QUOTE]