Featured Need help with Silver Coffee Urn/Samovar please

Acquired this piece from an estate sale, this was the only piece of silver there. There are no markings that I can find on this, not on the bottom, in the interior, the lid, etc. Is there somewhere specific I should be looking that I am missing? Google image search, replacements.com came up with nothing. How do I tell if this is plated or sterling? Age? Help please!

 

No marks, that makes it harder.

Similar dispenser handle on this one ...
https://www.chairish.com/product/78...rn-twin-handle-coffee-drink-dispenser-samovar

 

Without marks there are a few things you could try. Start with Magnet, If it sticks to any part of the pot, it is likely silver plated, since sterling does not attract a magnet. But the magnet will only stick if the base metal under the plating contains some amount of iron or another ferrous metal.

Even testing with acid is not ideal for two reasons. First you need to scratch into the surface in an inconspicuous place to get far enough into the plating to expose the base metal before applying the acid. That can be very disfiguring. Second, not scratching will mean that you are only testing the surface, which if it is plated will be all sterling anyway and give you an erroneous result. You should probably take it to a professional to be tested.

 

BTW this pot may have been intended to hold and dispense hot water for tea.

 

They keys to the mystery may be underneath the pot, and inside the lid. Also, what's the white bit on the handle made of? A high quality silver piece with some age on it often has ivory on it. A lesser piece might be bone or something else.

 

Beautiful-Tea for Mr. Darcy ? I would've bought it (dep on price) sterling or plate,although w/ plate you'd best want to keep it.

 

I think I will have to take to a professional. I have acid but not anything to drill deep in a small way.

 

It was totally black with that coloring like motor oil in a mud puddlle, looked horrible but it polished up so beautifully. Yes, hot water for tea, please!

 

Where are you Jaime?

 

Nothing on the bottom, nothing inside the lid, nothing inside the pot. I will take a look at the white piece with magnification and see if it looks like bone or ivory. Why didn't I think of that? Thanks!

 

There may be no deliberate marks, but many times the construction will tell us something.

 

A piece that elaborate should sneakily minutely marked somewhere (?).

 

I'd say plated.....I don't think silver would like the heat that thing would produce...
imo

 

I'm in the US, Tennessee

 

I finally dug out my strong magnet. This is not magnetic, at all.

 

Okay, this puppy is STERLING! The white piece on the spigot is ivory. Thank you to everyone that helped with this!

 

It's stunning-now the real fun begins,who might have made it ?
PS-I'm a sterling amateur,but it should be worth a bundle.

 

A couple hundred in scrap alone. If that thing is Portuguese or French, finding the marks is going to be FUN. NOT!