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.

	MACKAY & CHISHOLM Edinburgh Firm founded in 1835 (49 Newbuildings, Edinburgh). Active at 57 Princes Street (from 1879) and 59 Princes Street, Edinburgh (from 1908 to present)
	MACLAURIN BROTHERS Sheffield Active at Sidney Works, 23-20 Sydney St, Sheffield (1871-1925). The firm was founded by the sons of James Maclaurin owner of James Maclaurin & Sons, Boston Works, 70 Bowden St, Sheffield (1865-1870)
	HERBERT MACLAURIN Sheffield Herbert Maclaurin (born 1865) active at Matilda Works (1894-1915) and Sylvester St, Sheffield (1916-1923). Succeeded in 1894 to his father George Maclaurin (born 1839) working in Matilda Works since 1881 (formerly belonging to Wolstenholme & Biggin)
	EDWIN JOHN MAKIN Sheffield Charlotte Street Works. Succeeded to George Hawksley & Co
	WILLIAM MAMMATT & SONS Sheffield Active at Albion Plate Works, 119-121 Arundel St, (1886-1896), Portland Works, Randall St and 35-37 Townshead St, Sheffield (1897-1906). The firm succeeded William Mammatt, 18 Arundel St (1863-1864), 82 Division St (1861-1867) and 121 Arundel St, Sheffield (1882-1885). Between 1864 and 1867 the firm traded as Mammatt, Buxton & Co
	MAMMATT, BUXTON & CO Sheffield The firm succeeded William Mammatt (18 Arundel St, 1863-1867) and was active at Arundel Plate Works, 32 Eyre St, Sheffield (1864-1857). The partnership was dissolved in 1867 and William Mammatt traded solely at 82 Division St (1867-1881) and at Albion Works, 121 Arundel St (1882-1885). The firm became William Mammatt & Sons in 1886, active in Albion Works until 1896 and in Portland Works (1897-1906)

	WILLIAM MANTON & SON Birmingham Vyse Street, Birmingham
	MAPPIN & WEBB Sheffield Mappin & Webb HISTORY and MARKS
	MAPPIN BROTHERS Sheffield and London Mappin Brothers was active at Queens Cutlery Works, 6-10 Bakers Hill, Sheffield (1850-1905). They started electroplating in 1865
	MARPLES & CO (possibly) Sheffield Active at Napier St, Sheffield (1900-1907). In 1908 the firm became Marples, Wingfield & Wilkins
	WILLIAM MARPLES & SONS Sheffield c. 1880/1890
	MARPLES WINGFILED & WILKINS (possibly) Sheffield Active at Sykes Works, 148 Eyre St, (1908-1933), Portland Works, 75-77 Hill St, Sheffield (1934-1953). The firm succeeded to Marples & Co and ceased electroplating c. 1940
	RICHARD MARTIN Sheffield - 1854-1897
	MARTIN HALL & CO Sheffield The origin of the firm in the partnership established in 1820 in Sheffield by Henry Wilkinson and John Roberts who traded as Wilkinson & Roberts.The firm's cronology is: John Roberts (1836), Roberts & Hall ( 1846), Martin Hall & Co (1854), Martin Hall & Co Ltd (1866-1936). Martin Hall & Co was one of the best known British manufacturers and partecipated to many international exhibitions including the Crystal Palace 1851 Great Exhibition. They had also a line of production in electroplate and in a patented white metal called "Martinoid"
	MARTIN & NAYLOR Fargate, Sheffield In 1852 amalgamated with Roberts & Hall and henceforth became known as Martin, Hall & Co.
	MAXFIELD & SONS J & J MAXFIELD MAXFIELD & SONS (Silversmiths) LTD Sheffield & London Maxfield & Sons, founded c1855, was active at the end of the 19th century in its factory Enterprise Works, Arundel Street, Sheffield and their London showrooms at 47 Beak St, Regent Street with Joshua Maxfield as senior partner. In 1901 Maxfield & Sons and the associated businesses of J.& J. Maxfield and W.Mammat & Sons were converted into a single liability company under the style of J. & J. Maxfield Ltd and in 1908 was reformed as Maxfield & Sons (Silversmiths) Ltd.
	FRANK MILLS & CO Sheffield 63 Division Street: 1894-1906
	MOSLEY FLOWERS & CO (possibly) R.F. MOSLEY & CO Sheffield This mark refers, possibly, to a business of Robert Frederick Mosley and Arthur Samuel Flowers or to R.F. Mosley & Co Ltd, Portland Works, Randall St, Sheffield (1900-1911)
	WILLIAM JAMES MYATT & CO Birmingham Active at Graham St and Frederick St, Birmingham (c. 1900)

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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