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.

	NAYLOR, CLARK & CO Birmingham Partners were, possibly, William Naylor (Long Sutton, Lincolnshire) born c1836, electroplater with Naylor Clark & Co and his wife Laura Clark (Sutton Bridge, Lincs) born c1856
	JOHN NEAL London A reetail jeweler business active at Edgware Rd, London from 1852 until c. 1880.
	NEEDHAM, VEALL & TYZACK Sheffield Active at Eye Witness Works, Milton St (1889-1925), Nimrod Works, Eldon St (1889-1905), Glamorgan Works, Pond St and Pyramid Works, Reed St and Ceylon Works, Thomas St, Sheffield (1905-1925).The firm was converted into a &Ltd& in 1897. The firm used the trade mars WITNESS, BURMA SILVER, EYE WITNESS. The trademark belongs to Taylors of Sheffield who took over the trademark in the 1920s
	JOHN NODDER & SONS Sheffield Active at 188 Rockingham St (1863-1864), Taranaki Works, Dunfields (1864-1868) and 138-140 New Edward St (1868-1889), 226 Brookhill (1889-1904). The firm was converted into a "Ltd" in 1897. The firm used the trade marks: OSMINIUM SILVER and NODDERS SILVER
	NORTON & WHITE Birmingham Newhall Street, Birmingham
	JOHN NOWILL & SONS Sheffield Active in Nowill's Cutlery & Plate Works, Scotland St, Sheffield (1864-1950) and in Trimils Works, 87 London Rd, Sheffield (1950-1965). The firm was converted in a "Ltd" in 1928
	OLIVER & BOWER LTD Sheffield
	THOMAS OTLEY & SONS Sheffield Thomas Otley (having, possibly, some connection with Richard & Thomas Otley), active at Lambert St (1861-1864) and at Meadows Works, 33 New Meadow St (1865-1872). In 1872 the firm became Thomas Otley & Sons (until 1911)
	CHARLES OWEN Sheffield Active at 92 Wellington St (1853-1854), Wellington Works, 130 West St (1855-1860) and 3-7 Eldon St, Sheffield (1861-1863). The firm became Charles Owen & Co in 1863 at 3-7 Eldon St. (until 1871) and at 12 Baker Hill (1872-1878). In 1878 the firm changed to Owen Brothers until 1888, trading also as James Owen
	WILLIAM PADLEY & SON Sheffield Formerly Padley, Parkin & Staniforth. Active at 57 Burgess St (1876-1882), Surrey St, (1883-1890), 8-2 Howard St (1891-1903), Meadow St (1904-1911). Converted in 1900 into a "Ltd"
	WILLIAM PAGE & CO Birmingham

	JOSEPH PARKER & SONS Sheffield Active as Joseph Parker in Pool Works, Burgess St (1858-1863) and at 60 Arundel St, Sheffield (1863-1872). The firm changed its name to Joseph Parker & Sons in 1872 and was active in Alexandra Works, 58-60 Trinity St, Sheffield until 1935
	E.H. PARKIN & CO Sheffield E.H. Parkin & Co active at 212 Brookhill (1919-1928) and 122 Scotland St, Sheffield (from 1929). Converted into a "Ltd" in 1940 trading also as Parkin & Co
	RICHARD PARKIN & SON Sheffield Active in 1857 at 42 Campo Lane, Sheffield as Britannia Metal and Electro plated goods
	PEMBROOK & DICKINS Birmingham W.G. Dickins, silversmiths and electroplate manufacturers, trading as Pembrook & Dickins, 43 Hall Street, Birmingham
	JACKSON PETFIELD Sheffield Active at Havelock Works, Walker St, Wickes (1878-1881). Succeeded to Harrison & Wilson Petfield (1876-1877)
	H PHILLIPS Aldershot, Hampshire
	PINDER BROS (possibly) Active at 142 Rockingham St (1885-1892), 48 Garden St (1892-1940), Sheaf Plate Works, Arundel St (1940-1950), 87 London Rd (from 1950). The firm was converted into a "Ltd" in 1923. The business of silversmiths and electro-platers was opened in 1877 by the brothers Thomas Griffith Pinder and Charles Edward Pinder (Court 2, Headford Street and at 2 Fitzwilliam Lane in 1882). They were the sons of George William Pinder (journeyman or craftsman who worked for several firms) and Ellen Nodder (daughter of John Nodder, a metal smith of Furnace Hill)
	HENRY HODSON PLANTE - Birmingham H.H. Plante & Co was established in 1857 at 55 Frederick St, Birmingham. The firm was registered in 1897. There would be appear some connection between Henry Hodson Plante and: Hirons, Plante & Bourne (until 1878), Hirons, Plante & Co (until 1882), Harwood, Plante & Harrison (until 1886), Harwood & Plante (until 1892). Henry Hodson Plante was also partner in Plante & Bannister (1906-1907) and H.H. Plante (1907- 1980c.)
	THE POTOSI SILVER CO Birmingham Potosi Silver Co (manufacturers of electro-plated wares) owned, from 1878, by Levi & Salaman. In 1885 was opened a very large factory in Newhall street, known as the Potosi Works.
	JOHN HENRY POTTER Sheffield John Henry Potter, 124 Rockingam St., 1884-1893. Rockingam Works, 65-71 Division St. 1893-1940. The firm became J.P. Potter & Sons Ltd in 1922. The firm used the trade mark SILVA
	J. PRIME Birmingham
	THOMAS PRIME & SON Birmingham Thomas Prime was a close plater in Northwood Street Birmingham. In 1851 he was joined by his son Thomas Teritus Prime trading as Thomas Prime & Son. at the Magneto Plate Works, Northwood Street, Birmingham.
	ROBERT PRINGLE & SONS London Established by Robert Pringle(I) in 1835, a jeweller who had moved to London from Perth in 1820.Later the corcern was passed to his son Robert Pringle (II) and the firm moved to Wilderness Row, Clerkenwell. In 1881 extensive additions and alterations were made to the premises, subsequently known as Wilderness Works. The firm became Robert Pringle & Co in 1882, Robert Pringle & Sons in 1899 and Robert Pringle & Sons (London) Ltd in 1931.

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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