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.

	FRANK COBB & CO FRANK COBB & CO LTD Sheffield 1905-c.1940 at 35-37 Howard St. Sheffield. They ceased producing electroplated wares in 1911. The firm used the trade mark PERIOD PEWTER
	D. GEORGE COLLINS D. GEORGE COLLINS LTD London The business was commenced in 1896 by Daniel George Collins at 95/97 Newgate St, London and Works in Birmingham and Sheffield. In 1904 the firm was converted into a limited liability company (1904-1938). The firm used the trade mark MITRE
	GEORGE RICHMOND COLLIS & CO Birmingham and London George Richmond Collis succeeded to Sir Edward Thomason in 1835 at 28 Curch Street, Birmingham moving in 1868 to Cambridge Street, Birmingham. In 1854 was opened a branch at 130 Regent Street, London. The firm was absorbed by S.W. Smith & Co in 1888.

	JOHN COLLYER & CO LTD Birmingham
	COOPER BROTHERS COOPER BROTHERS & SONS LTD Sheffield Active at 14 High St (1850-1871), Don Plate Works, Bridge St (1872-1885), 44 Arundel St (1886-1983). The firm became Cooper Brothers & Sons Ltd in 1895. In 1983 the business was acquired by Frank Cobb & Co Ltd
	COOPER LUDLAM Sheffield
	CORBELL & Company Corbell & Company was established in London, England, in 1946. In 1951 Arthur Corbell moved to the United States and established Corbell & Company in Los Angeles. During the following years, the company expanded its activity throughout the United States, exhibiting its wide variety of merchandise in showrooms in Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Chicago and San Francisco, which were in addition to the headquarters in Los Angeles. Howard White purchased the company from Arthur Corbell in the fall of 2001 after moving to Los Angeles from England where he had been in the antique and reproduction hollowware business for over twenty-five years.
	CRESWICK & COMPANY Sheffield Formerly TJ & N Creswick. The "arrows" trademark was first registered in 1811 for Old Sheffield Plate production. The cross arrows trademark was later acquired by William Hutton & Sons in 1902. Electroplating began in 1852. The firm became Creswick & Co in 1855.
	CULF & KAY CULF & KAY (SHEFFIELD) LTD Sheffield Active at 63 St. Mary St, Sheffield. The firm became Ltd in 1948 and is still active in present days. The firm uses the trade mark CULFONIA

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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