Silver, Silver Plate, Pewter Antique Collecting 101

Antique Silver, Silver Plate and Pewter 101:

This article has been created to provide some very basic information regarding Silver, Silver Plate and Pewter. If you are/or will be starting an antique collection, then it is imperative that you understand some of the history and details about these items.

I recently started collecting silver plate Victorian antiques. Thanks to my husband, he helped acquire some knowledge regarding these items. The most important lesson learned is to read and review lots of reference books and information. Therefore, I am listing some of the basic history, and I will update this information periodically to provide references to manufacturer’s names, and the number of years that the company was in service. I feel that is the only way you are going to know that the items you are buying are truly antique. Anyone can tell you that you are buying an antique item, but unless you research it, you will never know, or sadly you will pay too much for a vintage item. Be cautious of reproduction items.

It is fun to find and collect antiques, but it is also quite costly. I have learned the hard way. We’ve purchase lots of items, and we have paid way too much for some. I hope this information help you with your antique venture.

Avoid the confusion about vintage versus antique items. A vintage item is not necessarily antique, unless it has been around for 100 years or longer.


SILVER:

The history of American silver begin in Boston Massachusetts in the 1600s. A silversmith was well respected and trust. It was also considered a lucrative business by the eighteenth century. A well to do family considered melting their silver coins and creating a unique pitcher or tea pot was a much safer way to store their wealth, than to store the money in a safe or tin box. Each silver piece was uniquely designed, handcrafted and marked by a maker. A stolen unique pitcher would be difficult to profit from than a silver coin. During that period, Silversmith produced silver pieces only when ordered. The silver design changed from colonial to classic, federal, empire, and later Victorian. Prior to 1840, the silver pieces were produced by hand. After 1840, Some Silversmith used machines to create these unique silver pieces. In the United State silversmith passed their knowledge and techniques to future generation. Example of this is Paul Revere. His father and son were Silversmiths.

SILVER PLATE:

Silver plate has been known, since the Romans. Silver is a very difficult technique, and receipt was lost until the 1740s. Silver plating method is fusion of two metals such as silver to copper (called copper-rolled or Sheffield plate). Thereafter, Pewter was modified to have less lead which allowed to be spun on a lathe. The new Pewter was later called Britannia. The Britannia product appeared more like silver than Pewter, and it gained more popularity due to cost. Sheffield England had to seek less costly silver plate techniques to compete with the Britannia product. The new silver plate process was a chemical deposit of silver on copper, knowing as Electroplate, patented in 1840. In 1845, an America company (Hartford) started manufacturing electroplated product. The Electroplating method gained popularity in America, and thereafter it was used by Roger Brothers, the Meridan Britannia Company, Reed and Baron, etc.

PEWTER:

The history of American Pewter begin in Salem Massachusetts in the 1600s. The composition of Pewter is antimony or bismuth, copper, lead, and tin. It is soft metal, and it does not last very long, since it wore out with use. Once they exhibited wear, the items were melted and remade. Pewter was very important during that time, since it was not expensive. It was mostly used by middle class families for serving dishes, cups, tankard and utensils. It is assumed that all American Pewter were produced using English molds. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, American Pewter metal was hammered given it strength creating an attractive long wearing product. The need for Pewter lessened as pottery, glass, and Britannia became available. In 1825, Britannia developed, and the silver plate was discovered. Then after, the silver plated Britannia was developed. In 1850 once the ornate silver plate Victorian style became available, American considered Pewter unimportant and undesirable.

MANUFACTURERS:

Now that you understand the above basic information, I will start listing the various American Manufacturers you can use for your reference during your antique research and hunting. Below are some of the most popular and common manufacturers existed in 1800s & early 1900s:

Wesley Adams
1849 to 1850
Philadelphia, PA

Anchor Silver Plate Co
1904
Muncie, Ind.

Aurora Silver Plate Mfg Co
1869-1904
Aurora, Ill

Barbour Silver Co.
1882 – 1898
Hartford, Conn.
New York, NY

Benedict Silver Co.
1894
Scriba, New York

Cincinnati Silver Co.
Prior to 1904
Cincinnati, OH

Columbian Quadruple Plate Co.
1893-1904
New York, NY

Empire Silver Plate Co.
1890-1922
Brooklyn, NY

Forbes Silver Co.
1890-1898
Meriden, Conn.

Gorham Manufacturing Co.
1863 to present
San Francisco, CA
Chicago, Ill
New York, NY
Providence, RI

Hall Elton & Co.
1857 – 1882
Wallingford, Conn.
New York, NY

Hartford Silver Plate Co.
1884-1887
Hartford, Conn.

Holmes Bros. & Co.
1884
Baltimore, Md.

The Holmes & Edwards Silver Co.
1851 to present
Bridgeport, Conn.
Stratford, Conn.
Merged with International Silver Co.
In 1898

Homan & Co.
1847-1900
Cincinnati, OH

International Silver Co.
1898 to present
Meriden, Conn.

Leonard, Reed & Barton
1837-1847
Taunton, Mass
Became Reed & Barton

Manning, Bowman & Co.
1869-1904
Meriden, Con.
Middletown, Conn.
New York, NY

Meriden Britannia Co.
1852-1898
New York, NY
Meriden, Conn.
Merged with International Silver Co.

The Meriden Silver Plate Co.
1869-1898
Meriden, Conn.
Merged with International Silver Co.

The Middletown Plate Co.
1864-1899
Middletown, Conn.
New York, NY
Merged with International Silver Co.

New Amsterdam Silver Co.
1890
New York, NY

The Pairpoint Maufacturing
1880 to present
Chicago, Ill
New Bedford, Mass.
New York, NY

Reed & Barton
1847 to present
Taunton, Mass.

Simpson Hall Miller & CO.
1866-1899
Willingford, Conn.
Merged with International Silver Co.

Taunton Britannia Manufacturing Co.
1835-1836
Taunton, Mass.

James W. Tufts
1877-1904
Boston, Mass.
New York, NY
Incorporated in 1881.

Wilcox Silver Plate Co.
1867-1898
Meriden, Conn.
Merged with International Silver Co.


I will update the reference list periodically, upon completing my additional review and research. If you would like me to add any additional references or correction to the above information, please feel free to e-mail me, and I will be more than happy to do that. If you have additional information you would like share, I will be more than happy to post this information. Thank you for visiting, and please remember the most important thing about antique hunting to research before you buy. Do not repeat my mistakes. Good Luck.