Melt value
£0
At £1.59 per gram fine, 19 September 2026
Category
Silver
Hallmarks, makers, patterns and what it all sells for. The most complete section on the Desk, and the place to start if you have inherited a canteen or a cupboard of oddments.
All guides
More on silver
4 guides in this category so far.
GuideSolid silver or plate? Six tests you can do at the kitchen tableMost inherited "silver" is plated. Here are six ways to tell before you weigh it, in the order a specialist would try them, and what each one can and cannot prove.
GuideSilver date letters, explainedEvery British assay office stamped a letter that changed once a year. Here is how the cycles work, why the shield matters more than the letter, and how to find the year without a book.
GuideScrap value or auction value? How to decide what to do with old silverEvery piece of silver has a floor, which is its weight in metal, and some have a ceiling far above it. A method for telling which is which before you sell.Tools
Two tools you can use at home
Hallmark identifier
Pick the marks you can see on the piece. The tool tells you the metal, the town, the year and the maker.
Open the hallmark identifierScrap silver calculator
For comparison
£180 to £1,150
What Georgian teapots of about 600g have made at auction
Most British silver is sterling. A refiner pays a little under melt. A saleroom estimate depends on maker, date and condition, which is what the guides cover.
Makers
- Georg Jensen14 records
- Hester Bateman14 records
- Liberty & Co9 records
- Nathaniel Mills11 records
- Omar Ramsden7 records
- Paul Storr6 records
Objects
- Teapots31 records
- Candlesticks18 records
- Canteens26 records
- Salvers and trays12 records
- Vesta cases15 records
Sale prices
Recent silver sale prices
Hammer, excluding premium.
| Date | Object | Saleroom | Estimate | Hammer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Aug 2026 | Georg Jensen 'Acorn' canteen, 48 pieces Lot 212 | Wiltshire | £1,500 to £2,500 | £2,100 |
| 14 Aug 2026 | Pair of George III candlesticks, Sheffield 1791 Lot 230 | Wiltshire | £600 to £900 | £720 |
| 22 Jul 2026 | Victorian bachelor's teapot, Birmingham 1889 Lot 88 | Sussex | £150 to £250 | £180 |
| 22 Jul 2026 | Nathaniel Mills castle-top card case, Birmingham 1845 Lot 102 | Sussex | £400 to £600 | £640 |
| 3 Jul 2026 | Set of six sterling teaspoons with an EPNS tray, mixed Lot 431 | London | £40 to £60 | £40 |
| 19 Jun 2026 | Omar Ramsden footed bowl, London 1928 Lot 56 | London | £1,200 to £1,800 | £2,600 |
| 5 Jun 2026 | Georg Jensen 'Pyramid' dessert spoons, set of six Lot 190 | Wiltshire | £150 to £250 | £190 |
| 22 May 2026 | Hester Bateman sugar tongs, London 1786 Lot 204 | London | £80 to £120 | £110 |
| 1 May 2026 | Silver tankard, London 1772, later chased Lot 61 | Wiltshire | £300 to £500 | £320 |
Hammer is the winning bid before the buyer's premium. Figures are illustrative until partner salerooms supply live results.All price records →