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How to Identify Reed & Barton Silver Hallmark

Silvermaker Reed and Barton was founded in 1824 in the United States. Today the company sells silver, crystal and china. For each year of silver production from 1928-1957, in addition to the words "Reed &Barton," the company stamped or engraved a different symbol, or hallmark, on their silver items. You can identify Reed and Barton silver and figure out when it was made by consulting these hallmarks.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Locate the hallmarks on your silver. If your silver pieces are very small, use a magnifying glass to see the marks clearly. Look for the words "Reed &Barton" or an R inside a shield shape with the images of birds on either side of it. All Reed and Barton silver from before 1928 and after 1957 carries one of these marks.
- 2
  Look for additional marks near the words or R. Between 1928 and 1957, Reed and Barton also marked each piece with a symbol to represent the year of manufacture. The Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks, and Makers' Marks lists all of these symbols with the corresponding year of use at http://www.925-1000.com/RB_Date_Code.html.
- 3
  Make a list of each silver piece and its identifying mark. This list can be useful in having your silver appraised or insured.

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