Rough estimates where possible; your final offer follows inspection.
No obligation. Free tracked return if you decline. We aim to pay within one working hour of acceptance.
Sell sterling and Britannia silver by post from anywhere in the UK: jewellery, cutlery and canteens, and hallmarked silverware. GoldPaid pays for the confirmed silver content, valued on the live precious-metal market with our margin already inside the figure and nothing further taken off. Silver plate is not bought. Send a photo of the marks on WhatsApp, then decide after a written offer.
Send a photo on WhatsApp for a rough estimate where possible, or arrange to post your items for assessment. We confirm our purchase offer after inspection, and you decide whether to accept. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
Free Special Delivery label, usually within 30 minutesPurity tested in-house by X-ray (XRF)
How much is silver worth compared to gold?Silver is worth far less per gram than gold, so silver value usually comes from weight, a full set of flatware rather than a single item. Each piece is XRF-assayed and weighed, and valued on its confirmed silver content and the live precious-metal market.
Please send us photos on WhatsApp, and we will help you.
Send photos of your items and any hallmarks. We give a rough estimate where possible; your final offer follows inspection. You do not need to arrange postage to ask us a question.
We arrange postage with you after our conversation.
Before you post
The questions people ask before they send anything, answered here rather than at the end of the page.
Can I ask first?
Yes. WhatsApp a photo to 07944 014111, 8am to 9pm, every day, and we reply with an idea of what it is worth. Nothing is posted until you decide.
Is it safe to post?
Your parcel travels by Royal Mail Special Delivery, tracked and signed for. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. GoldPaid can confirm the appropriate postal option before you post.
How is it tested?
Your parcel is signed for on arrival and opened at our Bristol office, where each item is weighed and tested with an XRF analyser, an X-ray test that reads the metal without marking it. Your written offer lists each piece with its weight, purity and figure.
What if I say no?
We return everything by Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost. Saying no costs you nothing.
When am I paid?
Only if you accept the written offer. We aim for the money to reach your bank within 24 hours of posting. We use Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, test your items promptly on receipt, and aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance. The 24-hour target is an aim, not a guarantee: it depends on posting before the local cut-off, the applicable working-day delivery service, prompt acceptance, completed identity checks and bank processing.
How long does an offer last?
Each written offer is dated and holds for a limited time, because metal prices move. If it lapses, we re-run it at that day’s rate.
Who am I dealing with?
GOLDPAID LTD, registered in England and Wales, run by founder Rocco Clayfield. Our office is at Unit 217, Bristol Business Centre, 179 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2AG. We are postal only, so there is no counter to visit. Before we pay, we ask every seller for a photo of their passport or driving licence.
Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
You stay in control
You do not have to post anything to get an answer. Ask your questions first and send photos of your silver on WhatsApp for a free rough estimate. Request a label only when you are comfortable.
This is a UK-wide postal service with no branches anywhere. Wherever you live, it works the same way: a free prepaid Royal Mail label in, a written offer back, and a free return if you decline.
Sterling, Britannia, fine and plated: what actually counts as silver
Six different things get called silver in UK homes, and only four of them are worth the postage. The difference is stamped on the piece itself, so a photograph of the marks settles it before anything leaves your house.
Mark on the piece
Silver content
Usually found on
Worth posting?
999, .999, fine silver
99.9 per cent
Bars, rounds, modern bullion coins
Yes
958, Britannia figure
95.8 per cent
Higher-standard British hollowware and Britannia coins
Yes
925, Sterling, lion passant
92.5 per cent
UK jewellery, flatware, tea services, trays
Yes
800, 830, 900
80 to 90 per cent
Continental European cutlery and giftware
Yes
EPNS, EP, A1, silver plate
A surface layer only
Victorian and later plated tableware
No meaningful melt value
Nickel silver, German silver, alpaca
None at all
Cutlery, trophies, decorative pieces
No
Sterling is by far the most common of the four, and the lion passant is the mark to look for: what 925 means on silver explains the mark and why plenty of genuine sterling carries none. What 958 means on silver covers the higher Britannia standard, and what 800 and 830 mean on silver covers the continental numbers. Fine silver turns up mainly as bullion, covered on sell silver bullion. Coinage sits on sell silver coins, where pre-1920 British coins are sterling and 1920 to 1946 issues are 50 per cent silver. Tarnish, dents and missing pieces do not change the metal content, so condition is not a reason to hold anything back.
Britannia silver (958) and 800-standard continental silver
Silver coins and small bullion bars and rounds
One important note: items stamped EPNS, "silver plated" or simply "plated" are not solid silver, the silver is a thin surface layer with little resale value. What EPNS means on silver sets out what EP, A1 and the nickel-silver trade names actually describe, and why the plating has little or no melt value. If you are unsure, send a photo of the marks on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether it is worth posting. The hallmark guide explains the marks, and the sell silverware page covers tea services, trays and weighted pieces in detail, while sell silver cutlery and canteens deals with flatware sets, EPNS canteens and filled knife handles on their own.
How it works
Ask first and send photos. Message us on WhatsApp with photos of your silver for a rough estimate. Ask anything; there is no charge and no obligation.
Request a prepaid Royal Mail label. We send a free Royal Mail Special Delivery label, tracked and signed for, usually within 30 minutes between 8am and 9pm. No printer? We send a QR code for the Post Office counter.
Post it when you are ready. Use any padded envelope. There is no deadline and no pressure.
Receive a no-obligation valuation. Every item is weighed and tested by XRF spectrometry at our Bristol office. You get a written, itemised offer, usually on the working day your parcel arrives, showing purity, weight and the figure.
Accept or decline. Accept and you are paid by bank transfer via Faster Payments. Decline and everything is returned free of charge by tracked, signed-for post.
Your parcel is signed for on arrival and opened at our Bristol office, where each item is weighed and XRF-tested before the written offer is prepared.
What decides your offer
Every parcel is opened at our Bristol office and each piece is handled on its own. Nothing is averaged across the parcel.
Weight. Each item is weighed on scales. Stones, steel springs, non-gold clasps and cores are not paid as gold. The written breakdown explains the payable metal weight for each item, rather than treating everything on the scales as precious metal.
Purity. Each item is tested with an XRF analyser, which reads the metals at the points tested without marking the item. A surface reading alone cannot establish the composition of a plated or filled piece. Hallmarks, construction and different components all need to be considered alongside the test.
The market on the day. Gold and silver are priced against the live precious-metal market at the time your parcel is assessed, not at the time you posted.
Condition and intact value. Broken is fine and does not reduce a metal offer. Where a piece is worth more intact (a named maker, a collectable coin, a locket with provenance) we tell you before testing, so you can choose.
Anything that is not gold or silver. Plated, rolled-gold and base-metal items are listed on the offer at nothing and returned to you free. We never quietly keep them.
Why we do not publish a per-gram price list. A single printed rate hides the things that change the figure: hollow versus solid, stones, mixed carats in one bag, a mark that does not match the metal. We would rather show you the weight, the tested purity and the figure for each item, in writing, and let you decide. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
What you see before you decide. A written, itemised offer by WhatsApp or email: every item, its weight, its tested purity, and its figure. Accept and we aim to pay by bank transfer within one working hour. Decline and the whole parcel comes back by Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost. No fee, no deduction, no questions.
Your valuation rests on things we can measure. An XRF assay confirms the purity, the scales record the weight, and the live precious-metal market on the day sets the figure, with our margin already inside it. It is all shown to you in writing first. XRF testing explained covers how the assay works.
Silver is worth considerably less per gram than gold, so silver value tends to come from weight, a full canteen of cutlery rather than a single chain. Each item is XRF-assayed to confirm it is solid sterling or Britannia silver, weighed, and valued on its confirmed silver content and the live precious-metal market. Weighted handles on candlesticks and knives contain non-silver filler, which is accounted for honestly in your breakdown.
Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market. Your written offer applies the weight and purity we measure to the live precious-metal market, with our margin already inside the figure.
One parcel gets one written figure, itemised piece by piece. Your offer reflects the weight and purity we measure and the live precious-metal market on the day, with our margin already inside the figure, so nothing further is taken off. For coins, watches and signed or collectable pieces, send a photo on WhatsApp first and we will tell you how we would value them before you post anything.
How your parcel travels
Your items travel on Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, fully tracked and signed for on delivery. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. GoldPaid can confirm the appropriate postal option before you post. If your items may be worth more, message us first and we can split them across more than one prepaid label at no charge. See postage and cover for the full picture. If a parcel is lost on its way to us, the compensation claim goes to Royal Mail from you, the sender, using your Post Office receipt, and we give you our tracking records and help you make it. Lost parcels, step by step.
Declining, made simple
A quick message is all it takes to decline, and you do not need to give a reason. Your items are then returned free of charge on a tracked, signed-for service, with no fee and no pressure to reconsider. What happens if I decline the offer covers it fully.
The written offer is dated and holds for a limited time, because metal prices move. If it lapses before you decide, we re-run it against the live precious-metal market on the day, at no charge. You can also accept part of a parcel and decline the rest, with no minimum and no penalty for splitting it.
Who this helps
An inherited canteen of cutlery that will never be laid on a table is one of the clearest cases for selling. Dated sterling jewellery is another. So is a house clearance that has turned up a cupboard of decorative silverware. The route is identical wherever you live, from a Highland village to selling silver from Leicester by post. Because silver value is weight-driven, send the whole lot together rather than piece by piece.
Being paid
If you accept, we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance, directly to your bank account. It is the last step, and a simple one.
Silver we do not buy, and the ID we ask for
What we pay nothing for. GoldPaid pays nothing for silver plate, including items marked EP, EPNS or A1, as precious metal: the silver layer is too thin to refine. Any such pieces in your parcel are listed at nil on the written valuation and returned free of charge by tracked post, whether you accept the offer on the rest or decline it. The full list, and where those items can go instead, is on what we don’t buy.
Stones and non-metal parts. Weighted handles on candlesticks and knives contain non-silver filler, which is set aside from the payable weight and accounted for on the written breakdown.
ID and ownership checks. Every seller sends a photograph of UK photo ID, a passport or a driving licence, whatever the parcel is worth. We check the name and address on the Royal Mail label against the name on the bank account, and ask you to confirm that the items are yours to sell. GoldPaid only buys from sellers aged 18 or over. Why we check, and what the law does and does not require, is set out on payments, cash and money-laundering rules.
How silver is valued
Silver is valued by weight, so the totals only become meaningful across a heavier lot: a parcel of sterling items adds up in a way a single teaspoon never will, and a fine silver bar is valued on the metal it holds.
The figure reflects the weight and fineness we confirm by XRF and the live precious-metal market on the day. Send a photo of the marks on WhatsApp for a rough estimate, or see how we value gold and silver for the full method.
Why sell to GoldPaid
GoldPaid is a small, owner-run UK business built on one promise: show the working. Every item is weighed and XRF-assayed, and every offer is itemised in writing. Postage is free and tracked both ways, and there is never a countdown or a hard sell. If something is worth more to a specialist than to us, we say so.
Common questions
Do you buy silver-plated or EPNS items?
No. EPNS and silver-plated items have only a thin surface layer of silver with little recoverable value. We buy solid sterling (925), Britannia (958) and 800-standard silver. Send a photo of the marks if you are unsure.
What about candlesticks and knife handles with weighted bases?
We still buy them, but weighted bases and filled handles contain non-silver filler for stability. The XRF assay and weighing account for this, and your written breakdown shows it honestly. On a loaded candlestick the recoverable silver is commonly somewhere between a tenth and a third of the gross weight; sell antique silver smalls sets out why, and what a photo frame or a thimble is realistically worth.
What is the silver price per gram in the UK?
Silver is quoted per troy ounce (31.1035 grams) in US dollars, so a per-gram figure is that price converted to sterling and divided by 31.1035. Your items are valued on their fineness (sterling 0.925 of the fine content, Britannia 0.958, continental 800 standard 0.800) and the live precious-metal market, with our margin already inside the figure. For how silver value moves and selling by post, see the silver price and selling by post. Your own figure depends on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, condition and the live precious-metal market.
Who buys sterling silver in the UK?
Postal buyers, pawnbrokers, high-street jewellers, antique dealers and auction houses all buy sterling silver, and they suit different items. Melt-value buyers such as GoldPaid pay on assayed weight and purity, which suits worn flatware, odd pieces and broken jewellery. A named maker in original condition, Georgian hollowware or a sought-after pattern may do better at auction, and we will say so if we see it rather than quietly melt it.
Where can I sell my silver?
Postal buyers, jewellers, pawnbrokers, antique dealers and auction houses all buy silver. Melt-value buyers suit worn cutlery, broken jewellery and plain scrap; signed or antique silver may do better at auction or with a specialist dealer. GoldPaid buys by post across the UK: a free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, then an XRF-tested written offer. Accept and we aim to pay within one working hour of acceptance; decline and everything comes back free.
Can I sell silver for cash?
Payment is made by bank transfer rather than notes. Once you accept the written offer, we aim to pay by Faster Payments within one working hour of your acceptance. You give your bank details at the point you accept, never as a condition of receiving an offer.
What if I think the offer is too low?
Decline it and everything comes back free of charge by tracked, signed-for Royal Mail Special Delivery, with no fee and no follow-up pressure. Before you do, check the sum: each piece or group is listed with its weight, its XRF purity and the silver rate applied, so you can compare it with another buyer’s written figure.
What happens if Royal Mail loses my parcel?
Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. GoldPaid can confirm the appropriate postal option before you post. While the parcel is travelling to us it remains yours, so a claim for a lost parcel is made to Royal Mail by you, the sender, using your Post Office receipt. Our normal claims process is sender-led, with our assistance, even when we paid for the label. Tell us straight away and we confirm whether it arrived, supply our records and walk you through the claim. Lost parcels, step by step.
Who am I sending it to?
GOLDPAID LTD, run by its founder Rocco Clayfield. Labels are addressed to our Bristol office, and there is no shop or counter. Every seller sends a photo of UK photo ID, and we only buy from people aged 18 or over.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.
Posting a heavier silver parcel
Silver parcels behave differently from gold parcels. A gold chain fits in a padded envelope; a canteen of cutlery or a tea service is a boxed parcel of a kilogram or more, and the weight changes both the packing and the postal arrangements.
Weigh the lot roughly on kitchen or bathroom scales and tell us the figure before you post, so the postal option is confirmed rather than guessed.
Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed, tracked end to end and signed for. Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used.
Larger lots are often better split across more than one parcel, both for the weight limit and so the value per parcel sits inside the cover. We arrange the labels and there is nothing for you to pay.
Pack flatware in bundles with tissue or kitchen roll between the pieces so nothing rattles, use a rigid box rather than a bag, and tape the seams.
Teapots, trays and candlesticks need void fill so they cannot shift in transit. There is no need to polish anything first, as tarnish does not affect the assay.
Your parcel is signed for on arrival and opened at our Bristol office, where each piece is sorted by standard, weighed and XRF-tested, then set out item by item in the written offer. If you would rather talk it through first, send a photo and the rough weight on WhatsApp. Postage and cover covers the postal detail in full, and sell silverware goes deeper on canteens, tea services and weighted pieces.
Speak to us before you post
Please send us photos on WhatsApp, and we will help you. We give a rough estimate where possible and arrange postage with you after our conversation. Your final offer follows inspection.
Sell your silver by post, sterling, flatware and more
Send a photo on WhatsApp, ask anything, and request your free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label when you are ready. No obligation, free tracked return.
