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.

	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 Firm established in 1834. A William Page & Partners Ltd was present in Sheffield
	PAGE KEEN & PAGE PAGE KEEN & PAGE LTD Plymouth Active as goldsmiths, silver smiths, jewellers and watchmakers at 17 George Street and, after WWII, at 87 Mutley Plain, Plymouth. The founder of the business was James Andrew Page, but the firm derives its name from the partnership (1871) of James Andrew Page (1811-1898) with Henry Keen (1822 - 1886) and James Hearder Page (son of James Andrew Page, dead in 1918). After 1913 the business was continued by Reginald George Page and James William Frederic Page. The business was still operating at number 87 Mutley Plain in the 1970s but then either closed down or was merged into another jewellers, possibly Bowden & Sons
	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 E.H. PARKIN & CO LTD 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. The firm used the trade mark CAMEO
	RICHARD PARKIN RICHARD PARKIN & SON Sheffield Richard Parkin (formerly Thomas & Richard Parkin) active at 30 Pond Hill (1836-1853). Became Richard Parkin & Son in 1853. Active in 1857 at 42 Campo Lane, Sheffield as Britannia Metal and Electro plated goods makers
	PARKIN & MARSHALL Sheffield Active at Telegraph Works, 23 Furnival St, (1770-1892), Sylvester St, (1893-1914) and Milton St, Sheffield (1915-1924). The firm started electroplating in 1861. The firm used the trade mark XL ALL and SHARP EDGE
	PEARCE & SONS Melton Mowbray - Leicestershire Active at 29 Sherrard Street, Melton Mowbray - Leicestershire. Acting as retailers of Atkin Brother and Roberts & Belk items
	PEMBROOK & DICKINS Birmingham W.G. Dickins, silversmiths and electroplate manufacturers, trading as Pembrook & Dickins, 43 Hall Street, Birmingham
	H. PERRY & CO Birmingham (possibly)
	JACKSON PETFIELD Sheffield Active at Havelock Works, Walker St, Wickes (1878-1881). Succeeded to Harrison & Wilson Petfield (1876-1877)

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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