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.

	THE GOLDSMITHS AND SILVERSMITHS CO LTD London A large business of retail jewellers and silversmiths established in 1880 at 112 Regent Street, London. The original partners were William Gibson and John Lawrence Langman. In 1898 the firm converted into a limited liablity company under the style Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co Ltd. The firm was amalgamated in 1952 in Garrard & Co Ltd. The firm used the trade mark REGENT PLATE
	THOMAS GOODE & CO London A manufacturer and retailer business established in 1827. Still active at South Audley Street, Mayfair, London
	GOODFELLOW & SONS London Founded in 1848 as Goodfellow, Tilley & Hodd (until 1854). Later Goodfellow & Hodd (1854-1860), Thomas Goodfellow and Goodfellow & Sons (after 1916)
	THOMAS GOODFELLOW London Thomas Hutchinson Goodfellow (29 Hatton Garden, London) succeeded in 1860 to Goodfellow & Hodd (1854-1860). Later the firm traded as Goodfellow & Sons
	GOODMAN, GAINSFORTH & FAIRBAIRN Sheffield (Old Sheffield Plate)
	GEORGE GORDON & SON Sheffield Active at Casket Works, 129 St Mary's Rd, Sheffield (1897-1927). Formerly George Gordon was partner of Bellamy & Gordon (1894-1896)
	JOHN GOUGH Birmingham John Gough was the son of William Gough and continued his father's activity. He was active at 4 James Street, St. Paul's, Birmingham. The business was closed in the mid 1880s
	WILLIAM GOUGH Birmingham Active in Birmingham since 1840 (at 11-12 Parade in 1849). He was in partnership with John Smith (until 1855). In 1859 took as partner John Bartlet Silvester trading as Gough & Silvester until 1870. Afterwards the business was continued by his son John Gough. The firm exhibited electroplated wares at the Birmingham Exhibition of 1849 and at the Great Exhibition (London) of 1851
	GOURDEL, VALES & CO London The business was founded in Paris in 1827 by Constant Valès. A branch was opened in London in 1857. The firm became Gourdel, Vales & Co (c.1865-1930) and Gourdel, Vales & Co Ltd (1930-1939)
	GRACE BROS Australia Grace Bros was an Australian department store chain, founded in 1885
	J.G.GRAVES J.G. GRAVES LTD Sheffield A famous maker who wed mail order and deferred payment plan. John George Graves was active at Entreprise Works, St. Mary's Rd, Gell St, and 169 West St, (1900-1910) and Margaret St, Sheffield (1911-1914). The firm became Ltd in 1905.
	BENJAMIN GRAYSON & SON Sheffield British Works, 58 Holly St. Sheffield (1872-1885), 16-18 Garden St. (1886-1893), 19 Carver Lane (1894-1900) and 99 Napier St., Sheffield (1901-1910). The firm used the trade mark BRITISH (but the same mark was used by Lee & Wigfull)

	CHARLES S. GREEN & CO LTD Birmingham Business established in 1905 by Charles S. Green, son and brother of the managers of Charles Green & Son. He was assisted in the business by his wife Winifred, a talented artist who designed all the firm's early patterns. The firm moved in 1907 to Cogent Works, 54 St.Paul's Square and in 1982 to a new factory at Lionel Street, Birmingham. The firm used the trade mark COGENT PLATE
	FREDERICK GREEN & SONS Sheffield Formerly Frederick Green, became & Sons in 1894 at 76 Bridge St, London Works, Sheffield. Later at Eyre Lane (1897-1900)
	ISRAEL SIGMOND GREENBERG & CO Birmingham Israel Sigmond Greenberg, listed in 1884 at 44 Frederick Street Birmingham, moved as I.S. Greenberg & Co to Vyse Street, Birmingham in 1889. The firm was converted in 1909 to a limited liability company under the style I.S. Greeberg & Co Ltd.
	JOHN GRINSELL & HENRY BOURNE Birmingham
	JOHN GRINSELL & SONS Birmingham
	RICHARD GROVES & SONS RICHARD GROVES & SONS LTD Sheffield Active from 187 at Beehive Works and Egerton Works. Snow Lane, Allen St and Egerton St, Sheffield. The firm became Ltd (1927-1942)
	I GUIDE & CO Sheffield Active at Helm Works, Arundel Lane, Sheffield from 1901

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,....