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Identifying Silverware Pieces

Makers of antique and vintage silverware produced serving pieces we no longer use, and sometimes no longer recognize. The size of these pieces ranges from an individual salt spoon to a carving knife, and some sets have more than 100 pieces of flatware for the American table. You may not know an aspic server from a food pusher, since the purpose for some of these pieces is now obscure. Identify flatware serving pieces in sterling or silverplate by comparison with photos and line drawings from antiques and collectibles books and authorities online.

Things You'll Need

Magnifying glass

Instructions

- 1
  Place the unknown piece close so you can refer to it often in searching for identification of the original purpose. Most pieces not easily recognized are serving pieces, not individual place setting pieces.
- 2
  Measure the flatware piece you are attempting to identify. A soup ladle and a gravy ladle may look the same in a photo, but the soup ladle is much larger.
- 3
  Identify the purpose of the silverware piece by comparison with line drawings and pictures from websites like Replacements Ltd. or SilverQueen. The “Sterling Flatware” book by Tere Hagan also has identification of individual and obscure pieces.
- 4
  Check the back of the silverware piece with a magnifying glass to find the name or hallmark of the maker, and use a website like 925-1000, Replacements, Ltd. or Silver Collection to identify the maker. Once you have the manufacturer identification, you can check marketplace websites like eBay to look for a similar item and compare the photo to your piece.
- 5
  Confirm the original use of the piece by checking another source, either online or in a book. Measurements are not given on all websites or for all pieces and it is sometimes necessary to check more than one source to confirm the identification of the purpose of the piece.

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