Silver Symbols Explained: Identify Authentic Silver Fast
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Do you have silver jewelry or flatware in your home? Did you ever notice those tiny markings on it? They might be numbers, letters, or images. Those are silver symbols, and they provide insight into your silver’s purity, value, and, possibly, its origin.
When a silver piece is sold commercially, it will often be stamped with one or more markings, known as silver hallmarks. In addition to the purity, those stamps could be the mark of the manufacturer or silversmith, give you insight into the date of manufacture, plus other information about the silver.
If you check your silver purity marks and decide to explore selling your items, Cash for Silver USA can provide you with deeper insights into the silver content, weight, and value through our free appraisals.
Common Silver Symbols and Hallmarks
Purity Marks: These marks indicate the content of pure silver in the alloy, usually expressed in parts per thousand. A mark of “925” means that the item is made of 92.5% pure silver.¹
Maker’s Marks: This mark identifies the silversmith or company that manufactured the silver item. It is usually a unique symbol, initials, or the full name of the maker.
Assay Marks: Assay marks are a guarantee of the silver’s purity, verified by independent testing at assay offices. The United States does not have assay offices. The Federal Trade Commission regulates how silver is labeled and sold in the United States.
Date: Found often in British silver, date letters are a form of hallmarking that indicate the year the piece was assayed and marked.
Town Marks: These marks indicate the city or town where the silver item was assayed.
Duty Marks: These were marks historically applied to silver items to indicate that a duty or tax had been paid on the silver.
Hallmarking practices have changed over time. Antique silver, like that from Britain and Ireland, typically features date letters and hallmarks.1 While the U.S. did not adopt assay marks, city marks, or date marks like some other countries, American manufacturers have applied maker’s marks, similar to how logos are used today. Those markings on silver are generally numbers, like 925 for sterling silver.
Using Silver Markings to Assess Value and Authenticity
Markings for silver can be instrumental in assessing the value and authenticity of your silver items. These hallmarks, often stamped on a discrete area of the piece, can reveal the silver’s purity, origin, and sometimes the age of the item, when you understand how to decipher those silver and silverware symbols. Here is how they can help:Silver markings can be instrumental in assessing the value and authenticity of silver items. These hallmarks, often stamped on a discrete area of the piece, can reveal the silver’s purity, origin, and sometimes the age of the item.
Determining Value: Determining Value: The purity marks will let you know if you are dealing with something made of sterling silver, which is synonymous with high-quality silver, or something with a lower silver content, whether coin silver or an 800 fineness alloy.
Identifying Authenticity: Maker’s marks, often unique to specific craftsmen or manufacturing houses, can add to an item’s value, especially if it’s from a renowned maker. The presence of assay marks, typically from a recognized official body, further guarantees the silver’s purity, ensuring its authenticity.
Because the United States does not require compulsory hallmarking, if the silver jewelry or silverware you have was manufactured here, you should look for a purity mark instead. At Cash for Silver USA, we weigh and test every silver item to confirm its silver content, even if silver markings are worn or missing.
Request your free, insured Appraisal Kit now to start the process of selling silver.
Understanding Silver Purity Marks: What Those Markings on Silver Mean
Ensuring the buyer’s reputation and understanding the terms of sale beforehand can help you avoid common pitfalls and secure a fair price for your silver.
The most common purity mark is for sterling silver. Here in the United States, anything that is 925/1000 parts silver is sterling, while in some countries, different standards are used, like “800” or “950.” These purity marks ensure that you know exactly the quality of silver you possess.
Silver Purity Marks Chart
Popular Jewelry Brands’ & Manufacturers’ Silverware Marks
Silver jewelry, silverware, and hollowware manufactured here and abroad might include a number of markings. Here is a list of common silver brands, along with their marks and silverware symbols.
Tiffany & Co.
The U.S. company known today as Tiffany & Co. or Tiffany’s began in 1837, but became known for its work with silver in the 1850s, when it adopted the Sterling Silver standard (925) of England. Early markings included “Tiffany & Co.,” along with the initials of the designer, according to the Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks.3 Tiffany silver is today marked with “925” or “AG925” to highlight the purity of the silver used.4
Cartier
Louis-François Cartier took over the jewelry workshop of his master, Adolphe Picard, in 1847, and within a short period, the Cartier name became synonymous with exquisite craftsmanship and elegant design, and the company is known for its jewelry and wristwatches. Cartier silver pieces are marked with a variety of stamps that authenticate their origin and indicate their quality. These marks often include the maker’s mark “Cartier.”5
Georg Jensen
Founded in 1904, this Danish silverware company is known for its high-quality and often artistically innovative designs. Georg Jensen produce jewelry, hollowware, and cutlery patterns. Early designs featured a block letter GJ maker’s mark and later designs were stamped with “Georg Jensen.”
David Yurman
David Yurman Inc. is a renowned American luxury jewelry brand founded in 1980 by David Yurman and his wife, Sybil. The company is known for its distinctive designs that blend artistic inspiration with innovative craftsmanship. The company’s silver products usually feature a “DY” maker’s mark or the name “David Yurman.” It is also stamped with “925” to indicate the purity of the sterling silver.6
Common Silver-Plated Manufacturers
If you have pieces from the manufacturers listed below, chances are you have something that’s silver-plated. Because of the small amount of pure silver in items that are silver-plated, it is likely to have little valu beyond that which is sentimental. Here are marks you should look for from these manufacturers:
Reed & Barton
Established in 1824 in Taunton, Massachusetts, Reed & Barton is known for its fine silverware and silver-plate flatware, and it is one of the oldest silver manufacturers in the United States. Reed & Barton silver products featured date marks.7
Gorham Manufacturing Co.
Gorham was a major American producer of sterling and silverplate. The Rhode Island company’s origins date back to 1831, and it has produced a multitude ofpatterns. The main product was spoons made of coin silver.8 Their silver products featured date letters and date marks.9
Wallace Silversmiths
Founded in Connecticut in 1833 by Robert Wallace, Wallace Silversmiths is known for its quality sterling and silverplate flatware and hollowware. Wallace produced the first German silver in America.10 Gorham silver products were stamped with date letters and date marks.11
Where to Find Silver Markings on Jewelry or Silverware
Founded in Connecticut in 1833 by Robert Wallace, Wallace Silversmiths is known for its quality sterling and silverplate flatware and hollowware. Wallace produced the first German silver in America.12 Gorham silver products were stamped with date letters and date marks.13
Spotting Counterfeit Silver, Silver Symbols, and Fake Silver Markings
Unfortunately, not all silver purity marks are legit. A 2024 seminar alerted attendees to fake antique silver hallmarks associated with 18th-century silversmith Paul de Lamerie.12 Recent news reports indicated fake silver coins have been appearing in U.S. markets.13 West Virginia law enforcement officials warned residents about fake silver coins being circulated around Alleghany County.14 In 2023, the Numismatic Guaranty Company provided guidance on spotting counterfeit American Silver Eagle coins.15
If you're unsure after testing silver purity or checking the symbols, Cash for Silver USA offers expert analysis to determine the purity, weight, and value of your silver. Request a free Appraisal Kit to discover how much your silver is worth.
Sources:
1. Wikipedia – Silver hallmarks, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_hallmarks. Retrieved Dec. 8, 2023
2. Wikipedia – Silver standards, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_standards. Retrieved Dec. 8, 2023
3. Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks – Tiffany Silver Marks & Dates, https://www.925-1000.com/Tiffany_Date_Code.html. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
4. Tiffany & Co. – Our Story: A Legacy of Sterling Silver, https://press.tiffany.com/our-story/a-legacy-of-sterling-silver. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
5. Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks – American Silver Marks – C. https://www.925-1000.com/americansilver_C.html. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
6. Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks – American Silver Marks – Y. https://www.925-1000.com/americansilver_Y.html. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
7. Wikipedia – Gorham Manufacturing Company, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorham_Manufacturing_Company. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
8. Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks – Gorham Marks & Date Codes, https://www.925-1000.com/Gorham_Date_Code.html. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
9. Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks – Reed & Barton Date Code Markers, https://www.925-1000.com/RB_Date_Code.html. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
10. Wikipedia – Gorham Manufacturing Company, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Wallace_%26_Sons. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
11. Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers’ Marks – Gorham Marks & Date Codes, https://www.925-1000.com/Gorham_Date_Code.html. Retrieved Dec. 11, 2023.
12. Antiques Trade Gazette – How to spot faked or forged antique silver hallmarks, https://www.antiquestradegazette.com/news/2024/how-to-spot-faked-or-forged-antique-silver-hallmarks/. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
13. Greenfield Recorder – Get your money’s worth: Dealers warn against increase in fake coins, https://www.recorder.com/Reported-increase-in-fake-numismatic-coins-57661888. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
14. yahoo!new – Alleghany County officials warn residents of fake silver coins circulating, https://www.yahoo.com/news/alleghany-county-officials-warns-residents-160307605.html. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
15. CoinWeek – NGC Counterfeit Detection: 2023 American Silver Eagle. Retrieved April 25, 2025.
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