ENGLISH ELECTROPLATE SILVER MARKS AND HALLMARKS OF ENGLISH SILVER PLATE

WITH THE ADDITION OF OTHER BRITISH, SCOTTISH AND IRISH MAKERS

created by Giorgio B. owner of www.silvercollection.it ©

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The two common forms of plated silver are Sheffield plate and silverplate/electroplate.
Sheffield Plate is a cheaper substitute for sterling, produced by fusing sheets of silver to the top and bottom of a sheet of copper or base metal. This 'silver sandwich' was then worked into finished pieces. At first it was only put on one side and later was on top and bottom.
Modern electroplating was invented by Italian chemist Luigi V. Brugnatelli in 1805. Brugnatelli used his colleague Alessandro Volta's invention of five years earlier, the voltaic pile, to facilitate the first electrodeposition. Unfortunately, Brugnatelli's inventions were repressed by the French Academy of Sciences and did not become used in general industry for the following thirty years.
Silver plate or electroplate is formed when a thin layer of pure or sterling silver is deposited electrolytically on the surface of a base metal. By 1839, scientists in Britain and Russia had independently devised metal deposition processes similar to Brugnatelli's for the copper electroplating of printing press plates.
Soon after, John Wright of Birmingham, England, discovered that potassium cyanide was a suitable electrolyte for gold and silver electroplating.
Wright's associates, George Elkington and Henry Elkington were awarded the first patents for electroplating in 1840. These two then founded the electroplating industry in Birmingham England from where it spread around the world.
Common base metals include copper, brass, nickel silver - an alloy of copper, zinc and nickel - and Britannia metal - a tin alloy with 5-10% antimony.
Electroplated materials are often stamped EPNS for electroplated nickel or silver, or EPBM for electroplated Britannia metal.

	CHARLES BOARDMAN BOARDMAN & GLOSSOP BOARDMAN, GLOSSOP & CO Sheffield Charles Boardman started producing sterling silver wares (1844) but converted to electroplating in 1847 prior to enter in partnership with Glossop. Boardman & Glossop was active at 54 Pond St., Sheffield (1861-1871). The firm became Boardman, Glossop & Co in 1887 and was converted in 1895 into a limited liability company under the style Boardman, Glossop & Co Ltd. The business was bought in 1924 c. by Frank Cobb & Co. They were described as silversmiths, electroplaters and Britannia metal-smiths at Clarence Works, Sheffield and 16 Ely Place, Holborn, London (later at 18 Bartlett's Building, Holborn). BOARDMAN & GLOSSOP HISTORY and MARKS
	BOODLE & DUNTHORNE LTD Liverpool Active at 35 Lord Street, Liverpool
	HENRY BOURNE Birmingham
	BOURNE & O'NEILL Birmingham A partnership of Henry Bourne and Daniel J. O'Neill
	GEORGE BOWEN & SON GEORGE BOWEN & SONS Birmingham
	JONAS & GEORGE BOWEN Birmingham
	JONAS BOWEN & SONS Birmingham
	BRACHER & SYDENHAM Reading (possibly) Active at Minster Street, Reading and later at Queen Victoria Street, Reading. The firm used the trade mark ROYAL COUNTY PLATE
	THOMAS BRADBURY & SONS Sheffield The firm was established in Sheffield as cutlers in 1736. In mid 18th century it traded under the style of Matthew Fenton & Co. Later they became silversmiths and Sheffield platers and registered their mark at the opening of the Sheffield Assay Office. In 1795 the business was sold to Thomas Watson who was joined by Thomas Bradbury (I). The firm became Thomas Bradbury & Son (1831), Thomas Bradbury & Sons (1855), Thomas Bradbury & Sons Ltd (1905). Goodwill and dies acquired by Atkin Brothers in 1943. Thomas Bradbury & Sons history and information
	BRAMWELL & CO BRAMWELL BROWNHILL & CO LTD Sheffield Succeeded in 1893 to the firm of Alfred R. Ecroyd. Active until 1927 at Fawcett St (1893-1896) and 15 Henry St, Sheffield (1897-1927). The firm used the trade marks RELIABLE and THE MASHER (the trade mark RELIABLE was used also by Marples, Wingfield & Wilkins - Sheffield)
	BRIDDON BROTHERS BRIDDON BROTHERS & CO LTD Sheffield Briddon Alfred & Frederick, from 1863-1910 at Victoria Plate Works, 7 Eyre Lane, Sheffield. They became & Co Ltd in 1905
	WILLIAM BRIGGS & CO Sheffield Active at Wentworth Plate Works, 35 Andrew St, Wickes (1875-1922). Became William Briggs & Co (Sheffield) Ltd in 1900
	S.BRIGHT & CO Sheffield active c. 1864
	ROGER BROADHEAD & CO Sheffield Late Broadhead & Atkin, Britannia Works, Love Street, Sheffield. In a 1858 advertisement the firm is described as manufacturers of Electro-Plated, British Plate, Britannia Metal Goods, Mounted Earthenware Jugs. Succeeded to Broadhead & Atkin
	BROADHEAD & ATKIN Sheffield Active in North St. Works. A partnership of Roger Broadhead and Henry Atkin at Love St, Sheffield (1834-1853). In 1853 the partnership was dissoved and they formed respectively R. Broadhead & Co and Atkin Brothers. The Gentlemen's Magazine, July 1853, reported that on June 5, 1853, Charles Atkin, junior partner of Broadhead & Atkin dead of his own hand as "...for same time past he had been in a melancholy state mind concerning some partnership misunderstandings"
	ABRAM BROOKBANK Sheffield At Malinda Works, Malinda St. Sheffield
	BROOKES & CROOKES Sheffield John Brookes and Thomas Crookes, active at Atlantic Works, St Philip's Road, Sheffield
	ALFRED BROWETT BROWETT, ASHBERRY & CO Birmingham Britannia metal and electro-plated goods
	GEORGE BRYAN & CO Birmingham (possibly) Active at Standard Works, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham (c.1905 - c. 1950)
	The successors of SAMUEL BUCKLEY & CO (OF LONDON & NEW YORK) LTD (possibly) London & New York Active in the 1910s as importer of gold and silver wares
	BURGESS BROTHERS Birmingham 43 Northampton Street, Birmingham
	ANTHONY BURTON (possibly) Sheffield
	BURTON & WATERS Birmingham c. 1921
	J.E. BUSHELL Birmingham Caroline Street, Birmingham
	GEORGE BUTLER & CO Sheffield The firm was founded in 1681 and in 1922 was active in its Trinity Works in Sheffield with Showroom at 62 Holborn Viaduct, London. George Butler & Co Ltd had a wide range of patterns of stainless, silver plate and sterling silver flatware.
	BUXTON & RUSSELL BUXTON & CO Sheffield Buxton & Russel was a partnership between Edwin James Buxton and Samuel Russell (1852-1861). The partnership was dissolved and the firm became Buxton & Co (1861-1863). Active at Duke Place, St. Mary's Rd, Sheffield

E.P.N.S. (Electroplated Nickel Silver) and EPBM (Electroplated Britannia Metal) are the most common names attributed to silver plate items. But many other names are used for silver plate:
EPWM - Electroplate on White Metal, EPC - Electroplate on Copper, Argentium Argentine Plate, Argentum, Ascetic B. B. S. Ltd, Ashberry, Austrian Silver, Brazilian Silver D&A Trademark of Daniel and Arter, Buxbridge - Trademark name of JT&Co., Electrum, Encore TT&Co Trademark of T. Turner, Exquisite, HH&S , I.XL Geo. Wostenholm & Son, Insignia Plate, JB&S EP A1, JD&S = John Dixon & Sons, K & TL , M&W Mappin and Webb, N.S. New Silver, Nevada Silver D&A Trademark of Daniel and Arter, Norwegian Silver; Trademark of WG&S, Pelican Silver JGNS, Potosi Silver N&S WP, RN&S EP Neill, Silverite = Trademark of W P & Co , Sonora Silver = Trademark of Walker and Hall, Spur Silver = Trademark of E B & Co for Edwin Blyde & Co, Stainless N. S., Stainless Nickel, Stainless Nickel Silver, Venetian Silver - Trademark of Deykin & Sons, WF&SS EP

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