Family Coffee Service

This will no doubt be an easy one for y'all:

This is a four-piece coffee service purchased, according to family lore, by my great grandmother in Connecticut, USA. Judging from the style, it must have been around 1920 give or take. That's all I know about it, except that I did find a set on E-Bay that is similar and was just marked down to the depressing price of $63.00.

So: It looks like silver on copper, therefore silver plate, yes? Each piece has the following markings, which I'm not sure you'll be able to make out:

"Excelsior, an eagle, E.P. - C, 094, and MI-84. I tried using the references at the top of the silver forum, but I'm pressed for time and nothing came up in any case. Still, I imagine these are common marks which some of you already know.

So, with today's antique market, is this set still worth the time it takes to polish it once in awhile? I hate to give up on something that's been in the family about 100 years, but legacy is pretty much the only reason I'm keeping it.

I thank you in advance for your kind and helpful thoughts.

 

The scratched numbering looks like something a jeweler would have done if a repair was made.

I'm doubting the 1920 date.
Wait for @Bakersgma and her expertise

 

'EP' is probably for electroplate. Yep. E P - C = electroplated copper.

https://www.925-1000.com/silverplate_E.html

 

Polishing removes a little silver every time. One thing for solid silver, for plate...

 

Hi,
They fell from being heirlooms since they need polishing. I can not begin to tell you how many sets have ended up in the trash. People used to toss the sterling ones also. I love polishing silver so I have 6 or 7 sets.
greg

 

Thought the name sounded familiar, finally had time to run through some old research projects and found 'Excelsior Silverware Corp.' was based in New York City, a manufacturer plating primarily on copper, though also on nickel silver base, active in the 1930s. No information on actual years in business...

~Cheryl

 

Thanks DragponflyWink. The location makes sense (New York/Connecticut), the silver plated on copper is a fact, and the date could be right as well. I was told ca. 1920....could be 1930s.....although, like you say, it would be more instructive to have the actual years in business. 1920...1930....Deco look for sure.

Still haven't decided if this is worth the polishing effort, but I hate to sell it for some minor sum after all these decades in the family.

 

Personally, can't say I see this set as 'Deco', it's a very traditional in form - the tray in particular, with its stamped 'chasing' is typical of early to mid 20th century American 'Sheffield Reproductions' by numerous manufacturers - the subject of my old research. The reason I have any information on this company is that while they didn't illegally mark any of their wares as 'Sheffield', their salesmen and advertising offered some pieces as such, ending up with retailer complaints and legal action by the Federal Trade Commission ...

Doubt that you'd get much for it, as evidenced by the unsold set on eBay, though that one is monogrammed and shows some plating wear and pitting. If mine and had no interest in selling, using or displaying it, would probably ask if anyone else in the family wanted it and if not, would probably polish it (though it looks good in the pic), wrap it in an old cotton sheet, jot down the family history, pop it into plastic bin and shove it into the back of a closet...

~Cheryl

 

What she said, except for the plastic bin. Plastic can do nasty things to silverplate. The tray looks like something from someone's 1960s wedding. I went to an estate sale today and was the only person I saw even looking at the "silver" on the table. I was looking for hallmarks just in case.

 

Interesting info about the company. It doesn't really strengthen the argument for keeping the set, in my eyes.

I might try to garage sale it or sell it on Craigslist, but it sounds like even then it will be a stretch to find anyone at all who wants it. Too bad....it shines up so nicely!

 

Doubtful there'd be any damage from the plastic off-gassing through a cotton sheet, though silver should never be displayed or stored touching some plastics, rubber, or latex paint, some cardboard can affect it, and even wood, especially oak - so for me, a plastic bin is just as good a choice as a cardboard box, or the painted interior of a closet, or an unlined wood storage chest, so long as it's wrapped appropriately - can't see that this set would be worth investing in an inert, acid-free container. Have seen a lot of silver pieces in their decades-old sealed manufacturer plastic bags, still in mint condition, and conversely, have seen awful damage from silver wrapped with plastic wrap or rubber bands - a clean cotton sheet, pillowcase, or even a plain t-shirt is a safe, inexpensive wrap for holloware - other than some flannel and silvercloth pouches, I use laundered natural cotton muslin for any silver I pack away, though I have some acid-free tissue for fragile pieces (not sure it's really necessary)...

~Cheryl

 

OTOH you know what you're doing. John Average might chuck it in any old how.

 

Recently received a rather delicately detailed silver spoon, so tightly wrapped in plastic wrap that it took me about 10 minutes carefully slicing the layers with an X-Acto blade to get it off safely - can't imagine what the seller was thinking...

~Cheryl

 

She didn't want it to get hurt. (LOL) I'd have used tissue or quilt batting and then a box, personally, but I'm weird. A friend saves me her trimmings when she makes a quilt. Cotton batting works nicely.

 

It was also wrapped in bubble wrap, then placed in a box, shipped in a padded envelope - and it wasn't at all a valuable piece...

~Cheryl

 

Overkill, probably by a buyer who'd heard horror stories ... or been inside one at some point and didn't feel like going there twice.