Written by Dennis van Kampen | 19th June 2018
Curious to know the value of your antique silver objects? Our in-house silver expert, Dennis van Kampen, has some advice on the topic. Dennis developed an interest in silver and gold during his studies and discovered the dealer within himself shortly after. With his own antique shop he has gained a lot of valuable experience in appraising thousands of objects. This background perfectly complements his work curating our weekly Silver auctions and makes him the ideal person to ask for advice. Here’s what he had to say about determining the value of your antique silver objects.
Workmanship, Design and Style
One of the first factors that determine the value of antique silver objects is the workmanship, meaning the level of skill with which the object was made. Take a close look at the 18th century silver teapot from Groningen, the Netherlands, below for example and you will notice the amount of work that has gone into it. A casted bar was hammered by hand into an irregular sheet of silver. With further hammering and heating it was raised into the basic shape of a tea pot, which could be adorned by embossing, also involving hammering. Different parts were attached by soldering using different silver alloys. All this workmanship took a lot of time and effort and is a sign of quality. Such an antique tea pot is very different from a teapot made by a machine in a factory.
This early 18th century silver teapot sold on our Antique Silver auction in 2018 for € 1,601
Size isn't everything when it comes to the value of antique silver objects; small snuff boxes and vinaigrettes for example can command very high prices if the work is very intricate. Some large and heavy pieces can be less valuable if the style or design is not good and the workmanship is poor. Silver objects were made in all sorts of styles with different functions and decorations. The twisted form of a Louis XV silver candlestick or the nave shape of an Empire silver condiment set for example, remain popular and are often used in later reproductions.
This silver condiment set from 1800 sold on our Silver auction in 2016 for € 3,000
Condition
Original condition is very important in determining the value. The most desirable pieces of silver are neither damaged nor repaired. Pieces which were altered or made out of different pieces, the so-called 'marriages', are worth significantly less. Personalising silver by engravings usually decreases the value of silver objects, but it can also add value when the quality of the engraving is high and when it contributes to the provenance, like marital arms for example. A rare silver piece in poor condition can still be very valuable when restored to its former glory.
Age and Rarity
The age of antique silver can be a major factor in determining the value, but rarity is normally more important. Some antique silver pieces can still be quite common and therefore less desirable for collectors, but other rarer pieces can be quite valuable. Some rare silver objects that sold on our Silver auction include a silver bust on a base made in Amsterdam in 1834 which sold for €1,210 and an extremely fine snuff box portraying Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I immersed in prayer. The latter was owned by the Habsburg family. It was the object's rarity and its provenance (which will be discussed in the next point) that earned this snuff box a winning bid of €1,800.
Left: Silver miniature bust of Aristoteles from 1834. Right: Silver snuff box from ca. 1900.
Provenance
Good provenance, that is a documented history of ownership and the origin, can also add to the value of a piece of antique silver. In 1733 Thomas Germain (1673-1748), a French silversmith of the Rococo and ‘orfèvre du roi’ made an impressive silver soup tureen for King Louis XV of France. It was part of the collection of George Ortiz and was sold in 1996 for a record sum of over €8 million.
Maker
The maker of the object is extremely important in determining the value. Leading makers are associated with high quality and are therefore more sought after by collectors and usually have a premium value. Barnard is a well-known maker for example and a two-handled silver cup from this maker sold on our British & Irish Silver auction in 2017 for € 4,099.
Two-handled silver cup/trophy made by Edward & John Barnard in 1852
Hallmarks
From ancient times silver was essentially the same as money. Silver was ideal for making coins because silver was relatively expensive, is durable when alloyed with another metal like copper, and silver coins can be produced in large quantities with a standard size and weight. The purity of the silver needed to be standardised as well and in the Late Middle Ages hallmarks were introduced to guarantee the purity of the silver and to indicate the maker.
Over time hallmark systems evolved, each country or region has a different set of silver hallmarks. Apart from using hallmarks for certifying the silver content, hallmarks can be very helpful for identification purposes. Often these marks, or part of these marks are used: a standard mark which guarantees the purity of the silver, a city mark, which denotes the location of the assay office that assessed the silver, the date letter and the maker's mark of the particular silversmith. Reading the hallmarks and decipher their meaning can sometimes be quite a challenge, but Dennis and his team have the necessary training and experience to help you decipher the hallmarks of any antique silver object you offer up for auction.
Hallmarks on a silver communion chalice, London, 1569
Beware of fake hallmarks, they can be good enough to lead one to believe that a newly made piece is an authentic antique. These are different from pseudo marks which were often used in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. Antique silver objects were in high demand during this time, but there weren't enough old pieces to meet the demand. Therefore many silver objects were produced in the antique style - in Germany, Hanau for example - with marks that looked like genuine marks, but were slightly different. Hanau silver pieces can be very sought after, but don't be fooled by pseudo marks. Also silver-plated pieces can feature marks which look like silver hallmarks and sometimes silver is not marked. This can be the case for Indian silver or religious silver. Dennis's expert advice is to avoid over polishing your antique silver objects because this can rub the hallmarks and eventually remove them altogether.
Hallmarks on a gold plated silver tray / waiter made in Russia in 1798. This tray sold on our Antique Silver auction in 2018 for € 1,800
Silver Weight
Finally, the weight of silver is also important for determining the value as silver has an intrinsic value in itself. The weight can be a good indicator of the silver's quality. In the past, silver objects were melted down during war time for example, because silver was equivalent to money. One famous example is the silver furniture made for Louis XIV ordered in 1664 for the Versailles palace. This set was completed in 1682, only to be sacrificed again for the good of France in December 1689 during the War of the Grand Alliance. Many objects were unfortunately lost over the course of history, but on the other hand many new objects were created because of this. Today silver objects are still melted down for money, but normally an antique silver piece is worth more than its intrinsic value alone.
An impressive silver soup tureen, Germany, Hanau, ca. 1850 sold on our Exclusive Antiques auction in 2018 for € 4,100
Dennis' Final Words of Advice
"An authentic antique silver object usually bears genuine hallmarks and should be made in the style and manner the maker was known for." says Dennis. "Normally a silversmith was specialised in certain types of objects. The silver object should be in original condition with traces of wear on the right places. Preferably with a good provenance, which is in line with these aspects of the object."
With Dennis' advice, you can start determining the value of your antique silver objects and, if you have a piece that you'd like to profit from, you can offer it up for our weekly Silver auctions. Dennis and his team are always on the lookout for interesting objects to include in the weekly auctions. And anyone can participate in our online auctions; you only need one account to bid, buy and sell. Create your free account today and explore our weekly auctions curated by our team of in-house experts.
You might also like these articles: