The metal itself
Silver is a chemical element, symbol Ag, atomic number 47. It is softer than gold, brighter when polished, and unlike gold it does react with the air. The black film that forms on neglected silver is tarnish, a thin layer of silver sulphide caused by trace sulphur compounds in the atmosphere. Tarnish is cosmetic. It does not reduce the silver content of the piece, and a well-tarnished candlestick can still be sterling all the way through.
For a charity shop the practical question is the same one that comes up with gold: is this piece solid silver, or is it a base metal with a thin silver coating? Get that right at the sorting table and the rest of the process is straightforward.
Sterling silver and the 925 stamp
Pure silver is too soft for cutlery, jewellery or hollowware, so it is alloyed with a small amount of copper to give it strength. The UK standard for sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, which is why the fineness stamp on sterling reads 925. The traditional UK symbol for sterling, the lion passant, a walking lion in profile, has been used for centuries and still appears on most hallmarked UK silver today.
On donated jewellery and small items the stamp is usually a clear 925 inside a chain clasp, on the post of an earring, on the underside of a pendant. On hollowware (teapots, candlesticks, trays) the marks are usually on the underside of the base, often four small punches in a row: the maker's mark, the lion passant, the assay office mark, and a date letter.
Britannia 958 and the higher-purity story
Britannia silver is 95.84% pure, stamped 958, with a seated figure of Britannia as the standard symbol instead of the lion passant. It was made compulsory in England between 1697 and 1720 to stop the practice of melting down silver coinage to make plate, and it has been an optional higher-purity standard ever since. A charity shop will see Britannia pieces less often than sterling, but the principle is the same: a clear stamp and the right symbol means solid silver, and it should be set aside.
Continental marks: 800, 830, 900
European silver does not always use the British 925 standard. Continental marks a volunteer may see on donated pieces include 800 (80% silver, common on German, Italian and Eastern European pieces), 830 (Scandinavian) and 900 (used on some French and coin silver). All three are real silver, simply at a slightly lower purity than sterling. Imported pieces brought into the UK and assayed at a UK office will also carry the lion passant convention mark next to the original continental stamp.
For sorting purposes, any three-digit stamp in the 800s or 900s is worth setting aside. The exact valuation depends on the purity, and XRF reads the actual composition on arrival regardless of which national standard the piece was made to.
| Stamp | Standard | Silver content | Typical origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | Continental | 80% | Germany, Italy, Eastern Europe |
| 830 | Scandinavian | 83% | Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland |
| 900 | Coin silver | 90% | France, parts of US, older coinage |
| 925 | Sterling | 92.5% | UK, US modern, most of the world |
| 958 | Britannia | 95.84% | UK higher standard, optional since 1720 |
| 999 | Fine silver | 99.9% | Modern bullion bars and coins |
Silver-plate is not silver
A huge proportion of the "silver-looking" items that arrive in a charity donation are silver-plated, not solid silver. The most common marking is EPNS, which stands for Electroplated Nickel Silver. The base is nickel silver, an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc with no silver in it at all, electroplated with a thin coating of real silver on top. Other markings that mean the same thing in practice: EP, EPBM (Electroplated Britannia Metal), A1, silver on copper, Sheffield plate (the older method, pre-electroplating).
These pieces can be lovely on the shop floor, especially Victorian and Edwardian tea services, photograph frames and trays in good condition. They simply do not pay against the silver market because there is so little actual silver in them. The plating wears through at high-friction points first, the rim of a tray, the lip of a teapot, the handle of a fork, and the base metal shows through as a pinkish or yellow-grey patch. That is a useful spotter's tell.
Tarnish versus corrosion
Tarnish on silver is the dark grey-to-black film that builds up over time, especially on pieces kept in a damp cupboard, a velvet-lined box or a polythene bag. It is silver reacting with sulphur in the air. It comes off with a soft polish cloth, and underneath the silver is unchanged. It is not damage and it does not reduce the valuation.
Corrosion is different. Pink-green patches on a piece marked silver usually indicate either a base-metal core (plate) or significant copper content in the alloy reacting to moisture. A volunteer should not try to clean those patches with abrasive polish. Send a photo on WhatsApp first and we will read the marks and the surface condition together.
Why heavy does not always mean valuable
A heavy, solid-feeling silver-coloured tray that has no hallmarks at all is almost certainly plate, pewter, or nickel silver. Plate manufacturers built heavy pieces on purpose because customers associated weight with quality, and a Victorian EPNS tray can weigh as much as a similar tray in sterling. The marks are what separates the two, not the weight in the hand.
Going the other way, a small, delicate, dirty-looking pendant on a tangled chain can be sterling all the way through and worth far more than the donor expected. Tiny pieces add up on the calibrated scale because the price is per gram of silver content, not per item.
When to call before posting
A WhatsApp photo before posting saves shop time, postage and disappointment. Send a photo when: the marks are unclear or worn, the piece is large and heavy (so cover before posting matters), there are stones or enamel that may be removable parts, the piece looks like it might be plate but the marks are not obviously EPNS, or you have a bagful of small mixed items and you want a quick read on which to bother sending.
WhatsApp 07375 071158 or phone 07763 741067. For larger consignments we arrange cover above £2,500 before the parcel is posted; please mention the estimated value in your message. Postal cover is up to £2,500, higher available on request before posting.
After the parcel arrives
Every silver item is XRF-tested for purity, weighed on calibrated scales, and priced against the live silver benchmark on the day of valuation. A written itemised offer goes back to the charity's head-office contact. If accepted, payment is by Faster Payments to the charity's registered bank account, same day where the offer is accepted before 3pm UK time. If declined, the items come back free of charge, tracked and insured. Indicative figures move with the market; the firm offer is set only after XRF assay confirms purity and weight of the specific items sent.
Common silver items in donation piles, and what to do with each
Cutlery and flatware
Full canteens of cutlery in a fitted wooden box look impressive, but most of them are EPNS. Check the underside of the handle of each knife and fork. Marks like "A1", "EPNS" or a long maker name with no fineness number mean plate. A four-mark hallmark with the lion passant and a fineness of 925 or 958 means sterling, and a full set is worth setting aside as a single weighed lot.
Tea services and trays
A silver tea set in good condition is one of the more valuable single donations a charity shop can receive, if it is sterling. The marks are usually on the underside of each piece in the same row. If every piece in the set carries the lion passant and a 925 stamp, the whole set is sterling. If the pieces carry "EPBM" or "Sheffield plate", the set is plate, and is best priced for the shop floor.
Coins and small bullion
Pre-1947 UK florins, half-crowns, shillings and sixpences contain real silver (50% from 1920 to 1946, 92.5% before 1920). Pre-1920 pieces are particularly worth setting aside. Modern silver bullion coins (Britannias, Maples, Eagles) are marked 999 or "1 oz fine silver". Both pay against the silver market; a photo on WhatsApp before posting confirms which years and denominations a charity has.
Jewellery: chains, rings, charms, brooches
Almost any silver jewellery sold in the UK carries a 925 stamp on the clasp, the back plate or the earring post. Sets aside even small or broken pieces; the price is per gram and a tangled bag adds up. Charms hold their own value as design pieces and are worth keeping intact rather than separated.
A worked example a manager can quote to a trustee
Suppose a shop receives, in a single week, a tarnished pair of sterling candlesticks (filled bases, light when picked up), a snapped silver chain with a clear 925 mark on the clasp, three pre-1947 silver florins, and a Victorian EPNS teapot. On the sorting table the volunteer separates the EPNS teapot for the shop floor and bags the candlesticks, the chain and the florins for posting. A photo of each goes on WhatsApp and an indicative figure comes back the same day.
On arrival the candlesticks are XRF-tested, the filled bases (commonly weighted with pitch or plaster for stability) are noted, and only the silver content is weighed against the LBMA fix. The chain is weighed whole. The florins are read for their period-specific silver content. The written offer lists each item on its own line with the composition, weight, rate and offer figure. The charity's head-office contact accepts before 3pm and Faster Payment lands the same day. The teapot, meanwhile, sits on the shop floor and sells for what a vintage Victorian teapot sells for, which is often more than its silver content would have been.
Common questions
What does the 925 stamp mean?
925 is the standard sterling silver mark: 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper. On UK pieces it usually appears alongside the lion passant.
Is EPNS silver?
No. EPNS stands for Electroplated Nickel Silver: a base alloy with a thin coating of real silver. It does not pay against the silver market.
A piece is heavily tarnished. Has the silver gone?
No. Tarnish is a thin surface film and the silver underneath is unchanged. We do not need pieces polished before posting.
A piece is heavy and shiny but has no marks. Is it silver?
Probably not. Most unmarked heavy "silver-coloured" pieces are pewter, plate or nickel silver. Marks are the key. If you are not sure, send a photo first.
Are continental marks like 800 and 830 still real silver?
Yes. They are real silver at slightly lower purities than UK sterling. XRF reads the actual composition on arrival.
Should we send small mixed bits of silver jewellery?
Yes. The price is per gram of silver content. Small mixed pieces add up on the calibrated scale and there is no minimum parcel value.
What if the offer is not what we hoped?
Decline it. Free insured return of any item the charity chooses not to sell. No fee, no part-accept clauses.