ENGLISH ELECTROPLATE SILVER MARKS AND HALLMARKS OF SHEFFIELD AND BIRMINGHAM SILVER PLATE MAKERS

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.

	ELISABETH JANE FAIRBAIRNS London
	WILLIAM FAIRBAIRNS & SONS London c. 1880/1890
	FARROW & JACKSON FARROW & JACKSON LTD London & Paris Active at 24, Eastminster and 91, Mansell St. Aldgate, London (late 18th century to circa 1900). Wine and Spirit Merchants and General Engineers, their marks are found on Britannia metal, iron, steel, copper alloys and silver-plated goods
	FATTORINI & SONS FATTORINI & SONS LTD Kirkgate & Westgate, Bradford The business was founded in Leeds by Antonio Fattorini. In 1831 he moved to Harrogate, Yorkshire. The firm changed its style to A. Fattorini & Sons opening a branch at Kirkgate, Bradford, Yorkshire. After the death of Antonio Fattorini the business was continued until 1859 by Maria Fattorini, Innocent Fattorini and John Fattorini. Afterwards the firm was managed by John and Edward Fattorini as Fattorini & Sons. The firm was converted into a limited liability company in 1909 as Fattorini & Sons Ltd. The firm was bought by Thomas Fattorini Ltd in 1984 and is still active in Birmingham FATTORINI & SONS: history and information page
	RUPERT FAVELL & CO FAVELL, ELLIOT & CO London & Sheffield Rupert Favell was active under the style Rupert Favell & Co at Bedford (Plate) Works, Bucknall St, New Oxford Street, London (1879-1883). Henry Elliott joined Favell in 1883 and the firm was changed to Favell, Elliott & Co. The firm was active also at 13 Norfolk Lane, Sheffield (1884-1891). In 1890, after the retirement of Elliott, the firm was restyled Rupert Favell & Co and in 1893 was acquired by William Hutton & Sons.

	FENTON BROTHERS FENTON BROTHERS LTD Sheffield Firm established in 1875 at South Moor Works, East Street, Sheffield by John Frederick Fenton and Frank Fenton. The firm was converted into a limited liability company in 1896 under the style Fenton Brothers Ltd.
	JOSEPH FENTON & SONS Sheffield Active from 1870s at Sykes Works at Eyre St. and 40 Matilda Street, Sheffield
	FENTON, RUSSEL & CO LTD Edinburgh Business established in 1822 by Bailie Thomas Russel at Hunter Square, Edinburgh. The business was continued in 1853 by James Fenton in partnership with Ferguson. The partnership was dissolved in 1876 and continued by James Fenton under the old name of Thomas Russel & Co. In 1900 the firm was converted into a limited liability company under the style Fenton, Russel & Co Ltd.

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, Austrian Silver, Brazilian Silver, Buxbridge, Electrum, Encore, Exquisite, Insignia Plate, Nevada Silver, Norwegian Silver, Pelican Silver, Potosi Silver, Silverite, Sonora Silver, Spur Silver, Stainless Nickel, Stainless Nickel Silver, Venetian Silver, W.M White Metal,....