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.

	RAENO SILVER PLATE CO LTD Birmingham A mark linked to William Daffern, Birmingham. Active c.1910 - c.1940. Listed in 1929 as silversmiths, makers of dinner services etc
	REID & SONS REID & SONS LTD Newcastle-upon-Tyne The firm was established in 1778 by Christian Ker Reid. After his death (1834) the business was continued by his three sons, William Ker Reid, David Reid and Christian Bruce Reid. The business was managed by Reid family with other partners until 1930 when Reid & Sons was converted into a Ltd under the style Reid & Sons Ltd (active at 23/27 Blackett St, Newcastle). Since 1967 the firm was a subsidiary of Northern Goldsmiths Co Ltd
	CHARLES L. REIS & CO Glasgow A retailer's mark of general merchandise wharehouse Chas L. Reis & Co, active in Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow and Sheffield.
	RHODES & BARBER Sheffield a partnership of Jehoiada Alsop Rhodes and Barber active at Britain Works, 53 Howard Street, Sheffield (formerly J.A. Rhodes)
	RICHARDS & WALSH Wexford
	RICHARD RICHARDSON Sheffield The business was established in 1796 in Sheffield by Richard Richardson. In 1895 the firm was active at Corwall Works, Sheffield and in London showroom at Ely Place, Holborn Circus.
	JOSEPH RIDGE & CO Sheffield Active at Lion Works, 47 Eyre Lane (1881-1886). Joseph Ridge was previously a partner of Ridge, Woodcock & Hardy (1872-1881). In 1886 Ridge, Allcard & Co was amalgamated in John Round & Sons and Joseph Ridge became its manager until c. 1915. The mark of Ridge & Co is tightly similar to the shape of some marks used by Round firm
	ROBERTS & BELK Sheffield The firm was established in Sheffield in 1809 under the style of Furnyss, Pole & Turner and from 1823 it traded as William Briggs. From 1858 it was managed by William Briggs and Samuel Roberts under the style Roberts & Briggs. In 1863 Roberts continued the business in partnership with Charles Belk under the style Roberts & Belk. In 1901 the firm was convertd to Roberts & Belk Ltd. The firm used the trade mark ROMNEY PLATE ROBERTS & BELK history and information

	ROBERTS & BRIGGS Sheffield active at Furnival Works, 38 Furnival st, Sheffield (1859-1863). The firm became Roberts & Belk in 1864
	ROBERTS & CO Sheffield William Roberts was active at Shoreham Works, Shoreham St, Sheffield (1858-1872). Succeeded to Roberts & Hall 1847-1858). The firm became Roberts & Timm in 1873 (until 1888 when William Roberts traded solely)
	ROBERTS & DORE LTD Sheffield and London Founded in Sheffield in 1908 by Tom Rodes Roberts and James William Dore, trading as Roberts & Dore Ltd. In 1912 the business was transferred to Hatton Garden, London. A subsidiary company was listed in the same year in Sheffield as Roberts, Dore & Hall (Sheffield) Ltd. The firm opened a showroom in Dublin (1932) and traded extensively with Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Spain.
	ROBERTS & HALL Sheffield active at Low St. Park and 51 Broad St, Sheffield. Succeeded to John Roberts. Amalgamated in 1852 in Roberts & Naylor
	ROBERTS & SLATER Sheffield A partnership of William Briggs, Samuel Roberts and Joseph Slater. Active from 1845 to 1858 at 38 Furnival St, Sheffield. The firm succeeded in 1845 to William Briggs, plater and silversmith (c.1823-1845). In 1859, after the retirement of Joseph Slater, the firm changed to Roberts & Briggs
	JOSEPH RODGERS & SONS Sheffield A famous firm of cutlers and silversmiths founded in Sheffield in 1682. It was converted under the style of Joseph Rodgers & Sons Ltd in 1871. The factory was at 6 Norfolk Street, Sheffield and a showroom at 60 Holborn Viaduct, London. New large works were opened in 1899 at River Lane, Sheffield.
	HENRY ROGERS, SONS & CO Sheffield Active at 80/82 Eyre St, Sheffield
	A. ROUND Birmingham c. 1910
	BENJAMIN J. ROUND B.J. ROUND & SONS B.J. ROUND & SONS LTD Birmingham The firm was established in 1864. Active at 7-10 Northampton Street, Birmingham. B.J. Round & Sons Ltd was Listed Exhibitor as Electro-platers and Finishers in Gold, Silver, Platinum, Nickel, etc., Chromium Plating at the 1929 British Industries Fair
	JOHN ROUND JOHN ROUND & SON JOHN ROUND & SON LTD Sheffield The firm was established by John Round in Sheffield in 1847 as a small familiar workshop attached to his house in Tudor Street. The business proved successful and the firm in partnership with his son Edwin went under the title of John Round & Son. In 1874 the firm became John Round & Son Ltd and in 1886 the business of Ridge, Allcard & Co (Lions Works, Eyre Lane) was amalgamated and John Ridge became the manager. Supposedly, in this period the JR & S mark was sometimes accompanied by the "four tridents" trade mark, previously used by Joseph Ridge. The main factory was the renewed Tudor Works, Tudor Street, Sheffield while various showrooms operated in London. The firm used the trade marks "ALL THE ROUND" and "BENARES" JOHN ROUND & SON LTD history and information
	J.J. ROYLE Manchester possibly a retailer
	THOMAS RUSSELL & CO Edinburgh
	JAMES RYALS Sheffield Active from 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, 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,....