A question costs nothing
Before you decide anything, send a few clear photos of your silverware on WhatsApp, or call. You will get an honest quick indicative figure and a straight answer about hallmarks, the postal cover, the XRF assay or the free return if you decline. None of it commits you to posting.
GoldPaid is a UK-wide postal gold and silver buying service with no branches. The flagship guide, selling gold by post in the UK, walks through how the whole thing works before you send a thing.
Sterling silver or EPNS? Check the marks first
Most disappointment in selling silverware comes from one confusion: solid sterling silver and silver plate look almost identical. The difference in value is enormous, so we say it plainly. EPNS and silver-plated items have little melt value, the silver is a very thin layer over nickel or copper, and there is no meaningful EPNS price per gram. Solid sterling is 92.5% silver all the way through and is worth selling by weight.
| Mark on the piece | What it means | Worth posting? |
|---|---|---|
| Lion passant (walking lion) | Solid sterling silver, 925 | Yes |
| 925, Sterling, or 958 Britannia | Solid silver | Yes |
| 800, 830 or 900 (continental) | Solid silver, lower standard | Yes |
| EPNS, EP, A1, "Silver plate" | Electroplated nickel silver | No, little melt value |
| No marks at all | Uncertain, often plated | Send a photo first |
If you are not sure, photograph the marks and send them on WhatsApp. We will tell you honestly whether your silverware is worth posting before anything leaves your house, and the hallmark guide explains the marks in more detail. Four explainers cover the numbers one at a time: 925 sterling, 958 Britannia, 800 and 830 continental, and EPNS, EP and A1 plate.
Silverware we buy
- Sterling cutlery sets and canteens, loose sterling flatware and serving pieces
- Tea and coffee services, teapots, coffee pots, sugar bowls and milk jugs
- Candlesticks, candelabra, trays, salvers and bowls
- Tankards, goblets, napkin rings, christening sets and dressing-table pieces
- Britannia silver (958) and continental 800 to 900 standard silverware
Condition does not matter, dented, tarnished and damaged pieces are bought for their silver content. What is generally not worth posting: EPNS and plated items, stainless-steel cutlery, and pewter. When in doubt, ask first and save yourself the postage.
Weighted pieces, an honest note
Some sterling silverware is weighted rather than solid. Candlesticks are the usual example: the sterling shell is genuine but the base is filled with pitch or plaster for stability, so a heavy candlestick can contain far less silver than the scales suggest. Knife handles are similar, the sterling handle is filled and the blade is steel. We assess weighted pieces honestly, value the recoverable silver rather than the gross weight, and your written breakdown shows exactly how each piece was treated.
The process, step by step
- Get in touch and show us. A WhatsApp photo of your silverware is all we need to give you an honest quick indicative figure before anything is posted.
- Get your free label. We send a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, fully tracked. If you have no printer, a QR code for the counter does the same job.
- Send it at your own pace. Wrap it in any padded envelope and hand it in at a Post Office whenever it suits you.
- See the written offer. We weigh and XRF-assay every item, then send an itemised breakdown showing exactly how the figure was reached.
- Decide. Say yes and the money is sent by Faster Payments. Say no and your items come straight back, free and insured.
How the offer is worked out
Three things set the offer, and all three are measured rather than assumed: confirmed purity, accurate weight, and the live market rate on assessment day. You read every figure in a written, itemised breakdown before you commit to anything. See how we value gold for the detail.
Silverware value is weight-driven, so a full canteen of sterling cutlery is usually worth far more than a single small piece. Every item is XRF-assayed to confirm it is solid sterling, Britannia or continental silver rather than plate, weighed on calibrated scales, and valued against the live silver market rate on the day. Weighted bases and filled knife handles are accounted for openly in the written breakdown.
Getting it here safely
Your parcel is covered by Royal Mail Special Delivery, with cover available up to £2,500 depending on the cover level used. We post you a Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed label: tracked end to end, signed for, and arranged with that cover per parcel. If your items are worth more, the rule is simple, message us before posting and we will sort the right approach. There is more on postage and insurance.
Changing your mind is free
Declining costs you nothing. If the written offer does not suit you, say so, and your items come straight back by tracked, insured Royal Mail post at our expense. No fee, no questions, no chasing. See what happens if I decline the offer for the step by step.
Who this helps
This suits anyone who has inherited a canteen of cutlery or a tea service that will never be used, people clearing a house who have found a sideboard of silverware, and anyone wondering where to sell silver for cash without a trip to a dealer. Because silver value comes from weight, it usually pays to send the whole lot together.
How payment reaches you
Accept the offer and the money is sent by Faster Payments straight to the bank account you provide. There are no cheques, no delays of that kind, and no strings.
The proof, not the promise
Anyone can say "best price". GoldPaid does not. Instead the process is laid bare: a measured XRF assay, calibrated weighing, the live market rate, and a written breakdown you read at home before you commit to anything. The reassurance here is structural, built into how the service works, rather than asserted in a slogan.
Common questions
How do I tell sterling silver from silver plate?
Look at the marks. A lion passant (walking lion), 925 or "Sterling" means solid sterling silver. EPNS, EP, A1 or "Silver plate" means electroplated, not solid. If there are no marks or you cannot read them, send a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you before you post anything.
Do you buy full canteens of cutlery?
Yes, and a sterling canteen is often the most valuable single lot of silverware, because silver value is weight-driven. Sterling forks and spoons are usually solid; knives typically have filled handles and steel blades, which the assessment accounts for honestly. Send the whole canteen, we sort, weigh and assay each type.
How much is silverware worth per gram?
Sterling silverware is 92.5% silver, so the metal value is 92.5% of the fine silver rate per gram, less our margin. Silver is worth far less per gram than gold, which is why weight matters: a full canteen usually adds up to considerably more than a single piece. EPNS and plated silverware have no meaningful price per gram. Your own figure depends on inspection, weight, purity, any weighted filler, condition and the market rate on the day.
Are you buyers of sterling silver?
Yes. GoldPaid buys sterling silver in any form: hallmarked silverware, loose flatware, jewellery, coins and small bars. Every item is XRF-tested to confirm it is solid 925 rather than plate, weighed on calibrated scales, and set out in a written offer you are free to decline. We serve the whole UK by post, so there is no shop to visit.
Where can I sell my silverware for cash?
GoldPaid serves the whole UK by post, there is no shop to visit. Request a free insured Royal Mail label, post your silverware, and you receive a written no-obligation offer. Accept and you are paid by Faster Payments within one working hour of acceptance, decline and everything is returned free.
What if I decline the offer?
Everything is returned to you free of charge by tracked, insured Royal Mail post. There is no fee for declining and no follow-up pressure.