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.

	T. LAND & SON Sheffield active at 107 Trafalgar St, (1901-1908) and Colonial Works, Queens Rd, (1909-1977). Formerly trading as Land & Oxley, the firm was converted to a Ltd in 1909. In 1952 the business was taken over by E.H. Parkin continuing activity until 1977 under its own name. The firm used the trade mark CIVIC
	LARDER & BURGESS Sheffield Active at 144 Eyre St (1900-1905), 38A Matilda St (1906-1923), 156 Eyre St (1924-1932), 10-12 Regent St, Sheffield (1933-1940)
	THOMAS LATHAM & ERNEST MORTON Birmingham Founded in Birmingham by Thomas Latham and Henry Morton in mid 19th century. The firm was converted into a limited liability company in 1915 under the style Latham & Morton Ltd.
	G.H. LAUBENBURGH & CO Birmingham not identified
	EUGENE LECLERE Sheffield Active at 56 Howard St, Sheffield (1914-1952)
	GEORGE SHADFORD LEE LEE & WIGFULL LEE & WIGFULL (SHEFFIELD) LTD Sheffield George S. Lee was active in Charlotte Street Works, Sheffield, together with Henry Wigfull. The firm was described as Manufacturing Silversmith, Electro Plater and Britannia Metal Smith. The partnership between George Shadford Lee and Henry Wigfull was dissolved in 1870. The business was continued by Henry Wigfull under the same style and address (John Street Works, Sheffield). The firm was converted in 1899 into a limited liability company under the style of Lee & Wigfull (Sheffield) Ltd. The firm used the trade mark INSIGNIA PLATE

	FREDERICK EWBANK LEEFE London Business established by F.E. Leefe in 1857 at Goswell Road, Clerkenwell, London. After the death of F.E. Leefe the business was continued by his son Arthur Leefe. In 1902 entered as partners Arnold Neale Baily and Thomas House Bates. Out of business in 1926 c.
	E & J LEEK (possibly) Birmingham
	LEVESLEY BROTHERS Sheffield Active at Central Works 102 West St (1863-1870), Bow St and 1 Sands Paviours (1871-1877) 74-77 Mary St (1878-1929) and 203 Arundel St, Sheffield (1930-1935).
	S.J. LEVI & CO Birmingham Active at Squirrel Works, Regent Place, Birmingham (c.1900-c.1935). The firm used the trade marks LEVIATHAN PLATE and SQUIRREL BRAND
	JAMES LEWIS & SONS Sheffield Active at 149A London Rd, Sheffield (1894-1909)
	LEWIS, ROSE & CO Sheffield Active at Debesco Works, Eyre Street, Sheffield. The firm partecipated to British Industries Fair of 1929 and 1947
	LIBERTY & CO London Founded by Arthur Lasemby Liberty in 1875 as Liberty & Co. In 1894 the firm became Liberty & Co Ltd. The firm used the trade mark TUDRIC
	ALFRED LINDLEY Sheffield Active at Richmond Works (1881-1887), 99 Napier St, (1888-1890) and 25-27 Eyre St, Sheffield (1891-1897)
	LINDSAY & PAISLEY LTD Glasgow Jewellers & Silversmiths (Wholesale and Manufacture) at Gordon St. and (possibly) Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow. Lindsay & Paisley registered sterling silver marks (L&P) in Glasgow Assay Office since 1898 (last 1936, also in Edinburgh Assay Office). Lunar Plate was a trade mark for silver plate production.
	LINGARD & BAKER Birmingham
	LISTER & SON Newcastle on Tyne
	LLOYD PAYNE & AMIEL Manchester The firm is recorded as "Clock & Watch makers, jewellers, musical instrument dealers, opticians & importers of dining and drawing room clocks and bronzes suitable for presentation". They were at Shudehill in 1869 and in Thomas St, Manchester by 1888
	LOCKWOOD BROTHERS LTD Sheffield A subsidiary of Joseph Elliot & Sons Ltd. Lockwood Brothers Limited was active at 74 Arundel Street (1855-1893) and at Spital Hill Works, Sheffield (1894-1922). Established 1767, incorporated 30th June 1891, the firm was the owner of John Sorby and Sons ('Pampa' and 'I. and H. Sorby' trademarks). The firm started electroplating in 1884
	H.G. LONG & CO LONG HAWKSLEY & CO LONG HAWKSLEY & CO LTD Sheffield Active at Hallamshire Works, 216-220 Rockingam St, Sheffield (1878-1911). Became LTD in 1900
	LONGDEN & SONS London
	WILLIAM HENRY LYDE Birmingham active c.1880 at Warstone Lane 26, Constitution Hill 26/50 and Newhall St, Birmingham

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,....