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.

	MARPLES & CO (possibly) Sheffield Active at Napier St, Sheffield (1900-1907). In 1908 the firm became Marples, Wingfield & Wilkins
	WILLIAM MARPLES & SONS WILLIAM MARPLES & SONS LTD Sheffield Active c. 1938 as toolmakers at Hibernia Works, Sheffield
	MARPLES WINGFILED & WILKINS 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. The trade mark RELIABLE was used also by Bramwell & Co
	MARSHALL & SNELGROVE London A department Store founded in 1837 by James Marshall. In 1848, when John Snelgrove became a partner, the firm's name changed to Marshall & Snelgrove
	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 HALL & CO HISTORY and MARKS
	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.
	MILLER & SONS London possibly a retailer active at 179 Piccadilly, London
	FRANK MILLS & CO FRANK MILLS & CO LTD Sheffield Hanover Works. 63 Division Street: 1894-1906. The firm used the trade mark TRIMILS
	ROBERT FEAD MOSLEY R.F. MOSLEY & CO R.F. MOSLEY & S MOSLEY & CO LTD Sheffield The business was founded by Robert Frederick Mosley (possibly in partnership with Arthur Samuel Flowers). The firm was active at Portland Works, Randall St, Sheffield
	WILLIAM JAMES MYATT & CO WILLIAM JAMES MYATT & CO LTD Birmingham The firm, established in 1895, was active at Argent Works, Graham St and Frederick St, Birmingham (became Ltd in 1899). In 1929 and 1947 the firm was present at the British Industries Fair. The firm used the trade mark MANCO ELECTROPLATE

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,....