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.

	ELISABETH JANE FAIRBAIRNS London
	WILLIAM FAIRBAIRNS & SONS London c. 1880/1890
	FATTORINI & SONS 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
	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 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.
	FINNIGANS LTD Manchester Firm founded by Benjamin Finnigans at 16 Market Street Manchester in 1875. The firm became Ltd in 1901 and had various addresses in Manchester, Salford, London (New Bond Street) and Liverpool
	CW FLETCHER & SONS LTD Sheffield Active 1915-1952. Sterling Works, 172 Bramwell Lane and 76 Arundel St., Sheffield
	ORESTE FRANZI & CO London - possibly The English branch of the Italian firm Oreste Franzi Soc.An. (possibly founded in 1864) active in Via Manzoni 15, Milano as retailer silversmith (from a 1924 Directory). The firm is recorded at 5 Castle Street, Falcon Square London. Oreste Franzi & Co entered a sterling silver mark in Birmingham Assay Office (c. 1902). In 1908 Herbert Frederick Thorne (Manager) entered a sterling silver mark in Chester Assay Office (maker's trade: merchant). A similar mark was entered in London Assay Office in 1911 (as silver workers). In 1913 the firm was listed as fancy leather goods manufacturers. In 1916 the firm was listed at the same London address as Oreste Franzi & Co (London) Ltd.
	ISRAEL FREEMAN & SON Sheffield working in London at the beginning of the 20th century and moving to New York City in the 1920s. The company was still in business in NYC in 2006 and being run by a mother/daughter team. According to their website (now closed), the mother/daughter are descendants of Isaac Freeman and, at the time, were still selling small silver items (information courtesy Michael Asbill)
	JOHN FULLERTON Glasgow
	FURBER & SON Cheltenham Possibly a retailer workshop. A Thomas Furber, silversmith/jeweller, 380 High Street, is present in a 1830 Cheltenham directory
	ARTHUR E. FURNISS Sheffield Active 1858-1910

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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