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American Silver

American silver marks.
Sterling, coin silver, and maker identification.

American silver marking follows a different tradition than English hallmarking — simpler, less standardized, but still rich in information about who made a piece, when, and what it is.

Decoding American Marks

How American silver is marked — and why it matters

American silver tells its story differently than English silver. There is no centuries-old network of assay offices, no formal date letter system, no compulsory standard mark. Instead, American silver carries a maker's mark paired with a fineness designation — a word or number that tells you the silver content. Reading American marks is usually simpler than reading English hallmarks, but dating and attributing American pieces requires knowing the maker's trademark history.

The American marking tradition

The colonies and later the United States never established a compulsory assay office system. Silversmiths marked their pieces with their own name or initials as a matter of professional pride and commercial identification. In the 17th and 18th centuries, early American silversmiths like Paul Revere stamped pieces with their full name or initials in a rectangle. No standard fineness mark was required; the maker's reputation was the quality guarantee.

This informal system continued through the early 19th century. When sterling became the American industry standard in the late 1860s, makers began adding the word "Sterling" or "925" to confirm fineness. By the 20th century, every major American silver maker had a registered trademark, and pieces typically carried both the trademark and a fineness word.

Common American fineness marks

The fineness mark tells you what standard of silver a piece meets. The main American marks are:

"Sterling" — 92.5% pure silver. The dominant American mark from the late 1860s to the present. This is by far the most common mark you will encounter on inherited American silver.

"925" or "925/1000" — The numerical equivalent of "Sterling," indicating 925 parts silver per 1000. Used more commonly on modern American sterling and on American silver jewelry.

"Coin" or "Pure Coin" — 90% pure silver, the American pre-sterling standard. Usually on pieces from the 1820s through the 1860s.

"Standard" — Typically used for coin silver (900 parts per 1000), though the term has also been used loosely by some makers. Usually indicates pre-1870 American silver.

"C" or "D" — Abbreviations for "coin" and "dollar," respectively. Used on some early American silver. "D" specifically referenced the metal content of silver dollars that were melted to make the piece.

"900" — Numerical mark for coin silver, 900 parts per 1000.

Pseudo-hallmarks

Some major 19th-century American firms adopted pseudo-hallmarks — visual marks designed to resemble English hallmarks but carrying no legal assay office meaning. The most famous is Gorham's lion-anchor-G: a lion passant, an anchor, and the letter G in three small shields that at a glance look like English marks. Tiffany, Kirk, and a few other firms also used pseudo-hallmark devices in certain periods. These marks were trademarks, not assay marks. When you see a pseudo-hallmark, look for the accompanying word "Sterling" or "Coin" to confirm the silver content.

Major American silver makers and their marks

Recognizing the maker is often the key to understanding value. These are the principal American silver firms whose pieces turn up in estates:

Tiffany & Co. (New York, founded 1837) — Marked "Tiffany & Co." with pattern or design names and a directive letter indicating the company president during the piece's production. Premier quality and highest values.

Gorham (Providence, Rhode Island, 1831) — The lion-anchor-G pseudo-hallmark plus "Sterling" on sterling pieces. Date letters or year codes were used in some periods.

Reed & Barton (Taunton, Massachusetts, 1824) — Marked with the Reed & Barton name, often with model numbers and pattern names. Produced extensive ranges of both sterling and silverplate.

International Silver (Meriden, Connecticut, 1898) — A consortium of older Connecticut silver firms. International marks can include pattern names and firm initials of the constituent makers.

Samuel Kirk & Son (Baltimore, 1815) — Famous for its repousse work. Marks include "S. Kirk & Son" variations and standard marks.

Stieff (Baltimore, 1892) — Later merged with Kirk. Known for reproduction-style American silver.

Towle Silversmiths (Newburyport, Massachusetts, with roots to 1690) — Classic American patterns, marked "Towle" with pattern name.

Wallace Silversmiths (Wallingford, Connecticut, 1833) — Marked with the Wallace name, often with pattern identification.

Lunt Silversmiths (Greenfield, Massachusetts, 1902) — Quality mid-century American sterling. Marked "Lunt" with pattern name.

Dating American silver

Without date letters, dating American silver relies on mark variants and stylistic evidence. Major firms changed their trademarks periodically, and reference books document the date ranges for specific mark versions. Pattern names, design patent dates ("Pat. 1894" or similar), and model numbers sometimes appear on pieces and help narrow dates. Construction techniques — hand-hammering versus machine spinning, solder types, casting quality — also help experienced specialists place a piece in a decade.

Quick Reference

  • Sterling: 92.5% pure
  • 925: Numerical sterling
  • Coin / Pure Coin: 90% pure
  • Standard: Usually 900 coin silver
  • C / D / 900: Coin silver abbreviations
  • Lion-anchor-G: Gorham pseudo-hallmark

Photo Tip

American marks are often stamped along with pattern names, model numbers, and weight indicators. Photograph the entire underside or back of the handle at high resolution, not just the main mark. A specialist reads the whole group — maker plus pattern plus fineness plus any additional codes — to identify and date the piece.

An Honest Take

What usually isn't valuable

American silver has broad supply and varied quality. These are the categories that typically disappoint inheritors expecting significant value.

Silverplated pieces with maker names

Major American silver firms produced vast quantities of silverplate alongside their sterling lines. Pieces marked "Gorham" or "Reed & Barton" or "International" without the word "Sterling" or "925" are typically silverplate, not sterling. The maker's name alone does not guarantee sterling content — you must see the fineness word to confirm.

Weighted sterling pieces

Many American sterling candlesticks, salt and pepper shakers, and other standing pieces are "weighted" — a thin sterling shell filled with pitch, plaster, or concrete. The mark "Sterling Weighted" or "Sterling Reinforced" confirms this. The actual sterling content is a fraction of the total weight. These pieces sell for less than solid sterling equivalents, and scrapping them recovers only the shell.

Mass-produced 20th-century holloware

American silver manufacturers produced enormous volumes of sterling holloware in the 20th century — bowls, trays, serving pieces, hostess items — using machine-spinning and die-stamping. While these pieces are genuine sterling, the secondary market is flooded with them and prices tend to approach melt value rather than collector premium. Exceptions exist for hand-hammered pieces, rare forms, and premium makers, but ordinary 20th-century production holloware rarely commands a significant premium.

Unmarked 20th-century pieces

By the 20th century, virtually all legitimate American sterling was marked. An unmarked 20th-century piece that looks like silver is far more likely to be silverplate, chrome, nickel, or another base metal than unmarked sterling. Early handmade silver (pre-1830 or so) is a different story, but for anything that appears machine-made and modern, the absence of a mark is a strong indicator that the piece is not sterling.

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Common Questions

Frequently asked about American silver marks

The United States never established a formal assay office system like England's. American silversmiths historically marked their pieces with their own name, initials, or a registered trademark, along with a word or number indicating fineness — most commonly "Sterling," "925," or "Coin." There is no American equivalent of the date letter, so precise year dating relies on knowing when specific maker's marks were in use rather than reading the mark itself. Some major American makers like Gorham used pseudo-hallmarks resembling English marks, but these are trademarks, not legal assay marks.
The most common American sterling marks are the word "Sterling" spelled out and the number "925" or "925/1000." These indicate 92.5% pure silver, the sterling standard. The word "Sterling" has been the most widely used American mark since the late 1860s, when sterling replaced coin silver as the industry standard. Before that, American sterling is less common, though some makers used "Sterling" or "Standard" earlier. A piece marked only "Sterling" with a maker's name is American sterling silver.
Coin silver is 90% pure silver, the American standard before sterling became dominant in the 1860s. It was literally made by melting down US silver coins and refashioning the metal. Common coin silver marks include "Coin," "Pure Coin," "Standard," "C," "D" (for dollar), and "900." Pieces marked this way are usually from the 1820s through the 1860s, though some makers used these marks into the 1870s. Early American coin silver by documented makers — particularly Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Southern silversmiths — is actively collected and often valuable.
A pseudo-hallmark is a visual mark that imitates the appearance of an English hallmark but has no legal meaning under any assay office system. Gorham's famous lion-anchor-G is the classic example — three small stamps that look like English hallmarks at a glance but are really a trademark identifying the maker. Several 19th-century American firms used pseudo-hallmarks to signal quality and craftsmanship to buyers familiar with English silver. When you see such a mark, look for the accompanying word "Sterling" or "Coin" to confirm the silver content.
The major American sterling makers include Tiffany & Co. (New York, founded 1837), Gorham (Providence, 1831), Reed & Barton (Taunton, 1824), International Silver (a Connecticut consortium formed 1898), Samuel Kirk & Son (Baltimore, 1815), Stieff (Baltimore, 1892), Towle (Newburyport, 1690 as a silversmith shop), Wallace (Wallingford, 1833), and Lunt (Greenfield, 1902). Each has a distinct maker's mark. Premier makers like Tiffany and Gorham generally command higher prices than mass-production brands, particularly on hand-made holloware and pattern-premium flatware.
Because there are no official date letters on American silver, dating relies on identifying the maker's mark and knowing the years that specific mark variant was in use. Major firms like Gorham, Tiffany, and Reed & Barton used different versions of their marks during different periods, and reference books catalog these variations. Some pieces include pattern names, design patent dates, or model numbers that help narrow the date. A specialist can often date a piece to within a decade or two based on the mark variant, form, style, and construction technique.