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 with EPNS hallmarks (more correctly 'EPNS marks' or 'EPNS trade marks') for electroplated nickel or silver, or EPBM for electroplated Britannia metal.

	GEORGE IBBERSON GEORGE IBBERSON & CO Sheffield Active at Central Works, 102 West St as George Ibberson (1894-1900) and as George Ibberson & Co (1901-1911). George Ibberson & Co was active at Violin Works, 112-116 Rockingham St, Sheffield from 1912 until 1932.
	Harold R. JAY (possibly) Sheffield Active at 40 Matilda St, (1927-1929) and Sykes Works, Milton St, Sheffield (1940-1952)
	JAMES JAY London James Jay was active since 1867 at 366 Essex Road. In 1887 purchased stock and premises of Richard Attenborough at 142-144 Oxford Street. In 1897 the firm became James Jay Ltd and in 1904 Jay, Richard Attenborough & Co Ltd. The business was closed after 1950
	JEHOIADA ALSOP RODHES & BARBER Sheffield 1878-1888 c.
	JENKINS & TIMM Sheffield John Jenkins and Herbert Timm, active at 23 Orchard Lane (1894-1900), Pensilvia Works, 188-196 Solly St, (1901-1914), 34 Eyre St, Sheffield (1915-1930). In 1915 the firm was converted to a "Ltd"
	CHARLES JENNER & CO JENNERS EDINBURGH Edinburgh A large Department Store founded in 1838 as Kennington & Jenner at 47 Princes Street, Edinburgh by Charles Jenner and Charles Kennington. The firm became Charles Jenner & Co and later Jenners Edinburgh.
	JOHNSON & CO Birmingham 1879-1899
	CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON & CO CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON (CUTLERS) LTD - Sheffield Western Works, 207-223 Portobello St, Sheffield (1878-1952). Was converted into Ltd in 1938

	R.M JOHNSON & CO LUCAS & JOHNSON Sheffield Active at Shoreham Works, Shoreham St, Sheffield (1876-1881)
	JOHNSON, DURBAN & CO LTD Birmingham Active at Aston Road and Hubert Street, Birmingham. Entered marks in Birmingham Assay Office in 1897 and 1904

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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