That drawer of inherited forks is either a few hundred dollars of silver or a few dollars of plated brass — and the difference is written on the back in marks the size of a grain of rice. Sterling means 92.5% silver; everything below covers how to read the marks, spot the plated impostors, and put a number on the real thing.
Marks that mean solid silver
| Mark | Purity | Where you’ll see it |
|---|---|---|
| STERLING, STER, 925 | 92.5% | US and most modern jewelry/flatware |
| Lion passant (walking lion) | 92.5% | English hallmarked silver |
| 958, Britannia figure | 95.8% | English Britannia standard |
| COIN, 900 | 90% | 19th-century American “coin silver” |
| 800, 830, 835 | 80–83.5% | German, Scandinavian, continental silver |
| 999, FINE SILVER | 99.9% | Bullion bars and rounds |
British pieces carry a row of tiny pictorial hallmarks — maker, standard, assay-office city and a date letter. The one that matters for melt is the lion passant: if the lion walks, it is sterling. Continental numbers like 800 are lower purity but still solid, meltable silver.
Marks that mean plated (no melt value)
- EPNS, EP, A1, AA — electroplate over nickel or brass.
- SILVERPLATE, PLATE, QUADRUPLE PLATE — says it outright, often missed.
- IS / INTERNATIONAL SILVER, COMMUNITY, ROGERS(without “sterling”) — big American plate brands; Rogers made both, so the word STERLING must be present.
- NICKEL SILVER, GERMAN SILVER, ALPACA — contain zero silver at all.
Rule of thumb: solid silver is marked with a purity; plate is marked with a process or a brand. No mark at all usually means plate or base metal — test before assuming.
Quick home checks
- Magnet: silver is non-magnetic; a pull means a steel base. (Like gold, passing proves little — brass passes too.)
- Wear points: on plate, high spots and edges rub through to a yellowish base metal. Check fork-tine backs and spoon heels.
- The ice cue: silver has the highest thermal conductivity of any metal — an ice cube melts noticeably faster on a silver tray than on plate. A party trick, but a real one.
- Acid or XRF for certainty, same as testing gold.
From marks to money
Weigh your sterling in grams and the math is weight × 0.925 × silver price per gram — or let the sterling silver calculator apply the live spot. Two valuation traps: weighted pieces (candlesticks, trophy bases) are mostly cement filler under a thin silver skin, worth a fraction of their scale weight; and knife handlesare hollow with resin and a steel blade. Buyers know this — you should too. Also glance at maker’s marks before scrapping: Georg Jensen or Tiffany sterling is worth far more intact than melted.
Frequently asked questions
Is 925 silver real silver?
Yes — 925 is the millesimal mark for sterling: 92.5% pure silver alloyed with copper. It is the standard for jewelry and flatware in most of the world.
What does EPNS mean?
Electroplated nickel silver — a nickel-brass base with a microscopic silver coating. Despite the word 'silver' twice over, EPNS items contain essentially no recoverable silver and have no melt value.
How much is sterling silver worth per gram?
92.5% of the silver spot price per gram. Divide spot per troy ounce by 31.1035 and multiply by 0.925 — at a $30 spot, about $0.89 per gram. Expect buyers of flatware scrap to pay somewhat below that melt figure.