# coin silver flatware



## scrapit (Feb 17, 2010)

Is it possible to make money selling silverware? How much silver is actually in an old spoon or a fork. I went to the antique store today and bought a spoon that seams to be made of coin silver. If you can buy coin silverware for cheap money could you make money selling it as scrap? An what is the deal win silverware that says Sterling on the back? Would appreciate some I sight on this subject from the more seasoned members and anyone who is knowledgeable in this subject.


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## 4metals (Feb 17, 2010)

It's the same with any precious metal, if you can buy it cheap enough you can make money. Buying from an antique dealer you won't be able to file a groove in it to test with acid so you have to be able to recognize the marking or hallmarks on the pieces. There have been postings on the forum with excellent references to hallmark artwork that you can learn from. Odds are if an antique dealer is selling flatware cheap, it's not silver. That era is long gone.


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## Harold_V (Feb 18, 2010)

The notation Sterling indicates the content of silver in the piece. Sterling is 92½% silver, 7½% copper. Do take note that it is _*very common*_ for sterling silver objects to be filled with plaster or rosin. In such a case, the piece will contain a relatively small percentage of silver, with the majority of weight in the filler and stiffeners. 

No one can give you a reliable answer as to the amount of silver in spoons and forks. The very best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with them, to recognize markings, and to be able to weigh pieces. Sterling flatware is generally solid except for knife handles and blades. The handles will be filled, and the blade typically a magnetic grade of stainless. 

I see that you make reference to coin silver regularly. While there is coin silver, you are far less likely to encounter it aside from in coins. Coin silver is 90% silver, 10% copper. 

Be very careful about buying flatware for silver. The vast majority is just silver plated. It is marked various ways, often with indications of how much silver was applied when the items were made. Sadly, by the time such items hit the scrap heap, most of the silver has been worn away, exposing the white metal (a copper alloy) from which the items are made. It would be unusual for anyone to buy it such that it could be processed for profit.

Harold


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## scrapit (Feb 19, 2010)

That was some very helpful advice Harold I really appreciate it.


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## Harold_V (Feb 19, 2010)

scrapit said:


> That was some very helpful advice Harold I really appreciate it.


Welcome!

One more thing you should know. We talked about sterling and coin silver, but there are other ratios you'll encounter. The Scandinavian countries are known for making flatware that is far lower in silver content. I processed one lot that was only 72%, as I recall. I know it was in the low 70's, for sure. 

When you examine pieces to determine if they're solid silver (meaning not silver plated, not that they are pure silver), it's not uncommon to see pieces marked by their percentage instead of by a name. Sterling is often found marked 925, and coin marked 900. Using that same theme, you might expect to find markings such as 720 for the silver I mentioned, above. 

Depending on the origin of some pieces, they may be marked by a lion instead of specifying sterling. You should get a book on hallmarks and become familiar with them to avoid getting stung, or carry a small test kit, one with nitric acid and Schwerter's solution. Between the two, and a small file, you can test anything you encounter and know if it is, or isn't, silver. 

Harold


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## aflacglobal (Feb 19, 2010)

:arrow:


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## peter i (Feb 19, 2010)

The Danish standard for many years was .825
It was market with a stamp depicting three towers*





http://www.hardandsoft.dk/bestikhistorie.html

On jewellery (and some flatware) it could instead be stamped with .825.

Now sterling is used as the standard, but some objects are still made from .825


If marked with just two towers, it means "silver plated" instead!


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## Anonymous (Jul 18, 2010)

i am a jeweller, and i buy ols silver ornaments, and then melt in to bars. now i want to setup silver purification unit can anyone help me . whats the process to purify silver and copper.


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## Buzz (Jul 18, 2010)

Go to Lazersteves site, http://www.goldrecovery.us/pricing.asp and get
yourself a copy of his new refining Silver DVD.

Definately recommended.

Buzz


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## user 12009 (Jul 19, 2010)

4metals said:


> Odds are if an antique dealer is selling flatware cheap, it's not silver. That era is long gone.


Actually that is how I got started with precious metals. I was coming home from metal detecting and it was close to lunch time. I saw a sign that said ESTATE SALE and had never been to one so I decided to stop. It was professionally run with lots of glass cases. I saw a pile of forks and spoons and went back out to my car and got my magnifying glass. I asked to see a few and took out my glass. The lady said there was no silver in there but I looked any way. On a spoon I could see, in very tiny letters, STERLING. It was marked $2 and being the good Scott that I am I asked if she would take $1 since she thought it was plated she took my money. It turned out to weigh 15 grams at that time it was worth about $8 and the rest is history. 

(I just had my best PM buying weekend. Bought about 110 gr of karat gold at yard sales for under a grand)


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## 4metals (Jul 19, 2010)

Back in the '70's I bought over 18000 ounces of sterling in a little over 2 years, mostly at yard and estate sales. Refined it to .999 fine in a 5 gallon fish tank in the barn. Today I doubt you would be able to collect 1000 ounces a year at yard sales, most people have caught on. 

The same is probably true with karat gold, people are better informed, most jewelry today at yard sales is gold filled. But it doesn't hurt to look.


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## goldsilverpro (Jul 19, 2010)

raj2nidhi said:


> i am a jeweller, and i buy ols silver ornaments, and then melt in to bars. now i want to setup silver purification unit can anyone help me . whats the process to purify silver and copper.



Search the forum. Everything you ever needed to know about refining silver has already been written, in detail. Please don't make us repeat it over and over. Search for things like "silver cell", moebius, thum.


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## lazersteve (Jul 19, 2010)

If you are a visual learner like some, you can purchase the Silver Refining DVD from my website

http://goldrecovery.us

Steve


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## user 12009 (Jul 20, 2010)

4metals said:


> ..........better informed, most jewelry today at yard sales is gold filled. But it doesn't hurt to look.


No problem with gold filled, just out here it is hard to find. I have been saving GF now for about 1.5 years and I only have about 450gr I am waiting to get to 500gr before sending to my refinery. I got 3gr last week off of a ladies watch with a Spidel band. The bezel was not GF. :evil:


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## Anonymous (Aug 13, 2010)

Of course Scrapit, you can make money from selling silver. Really Harold has written some interesting notes in his post.


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