BACKGROUND:
This is a tip
I picked up from the "Antiques Roadshow" website. I thought I would take this
opportunity to share it with all of you who are into the antique
business.
"If you're
keen on buying silver, whether at an antique shop or a flea market,
knowing a bit about the metal and its various flavors is useful
knowledge indeed. Is the piece sterling silver or silver plate? And
what about Sheffield plate? Chistopher Hartop of Christie's
divulges a few useful tips...
Silver or Silver
plate?
First, look
for the obvious. Turn the piece over and look for the letters "EP"
or "EPNS" stamped into the metal. As you may have guessed, EP
stands for electroplate. EPNS indicates that the object was
electroplated with silver or nickel. Of course, the absence of
these markings does not mean the object is sterling silver. Perhaps
there's a marking that implies (or states) that the piece is
sterling silver. View any such marking with a degree of skepticism.
In general, you should be wary of any markings on
silver.
Sometimes
you're not lucky enough to find an electroplate marking. There's
another clue to look for. Take a close look at the piece,
especially the base, and look for areas where the silver has been
worn away. The base metal, often copper, will appear red -- this
effect is called "bleeding".
Sheffield
Plate
Some people
mistakenly refer to all silver plate as Sheffield plate. Sheffield
plate is a process that was invented in England about 250 years
ago. Sheets of silver and sheets of copper were hammered together
until the two became fused. The fused metal was shaped and formed
into objects in the same way that silver objects were made.
Electroplating, the same process used today, was developed in the
middle of the last century.
A characteristic of Sheffield plate is its pleasing, warm color,
which is the same as sterling silver. Electroplated objects, on the
other hand, have a hard, shiny surface, and lack the warm color.
The reason for this is that sterling silver is actually an alloy,
consisting of silver and copper. The surface of an electroplated
piece, on the other hand, is pure silver."
THE
CACHE:
The cache is
located at the listed coordinates. Park on a side street and walk
down the sidewalk to the cache location. It is a small container so
there is no room for trade items. It simply holds a log book
awaiting your signature. Bring your own pencil. Muggle traffic can
be high especially during school hours. This is also a popular
location for neighborhood joggers. Have fun with this
one!