Sheffield Reproduction Silver Tray
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Metal
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Victorian Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English High Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Tea Sets
Metal
Vintage 1940s American Books
Mahogany, Paper
People Also Browsed
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Vintage 1980s English Neoclassical Porcelain
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Sheffield and Silverplate
Copper
Early 20th Century English Edwardian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century American Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Brass
Early 20th Century European Sheffield and Silverplate
Metal
Early 20th Century British Edwardian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Late Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century French Napoleon III Serving Pieces
Porcelain
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Recent Sales
Early 20th Century English Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate, Copper
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century English High Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Copper
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Canadian Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Copper
Early 20th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century English Hollywood Regency Sheffield and Silverplate
Finding the Right sheffield-silverplate for You
Sheffield silverplate is a durable combination of thin silver sheets and comparatively thicker sheets of copper that was used to create a variety of household objects for years. On 1stDibs, find a collection of antique and vintage Sheffield silverplate and other silverplate for all of your formal dining and entertaining needs.
A cutler named Thomas Boulsover, who worked for a cutlers company in Sheffield, England, accidentally invented what we now call Sheffield silverplate during the 1700s. While working on a decorative knife for a customer — the metalworkers guild had been tasked with repairing its handle — Boulsover mistakenly overheated the silver and noticed that the knife’s layers of silver and copper melded together, creating an impressive bond. This new material felt like silver but was substantially cheaper. It was then used to produce a variety of serveware, candlesticks, buttons, tea sets and more. For families that couldn’t afford the sterling-silver tureens that were used to serve soup in the upper-class English homes at the time, this was good news. They could impress guests with housewares that looked like sterling silver but actually weren't.
Today, just as pewter collectibles and sterling silver are popular with collectors at neighborhood flea markets, antique Sheffield silverplate housewares are sought after for their appearance and rich history. Sheffield silverplate can command high prices on the secondhand market.
Securing yourself a Sheffield silverplate piece is like acquiring a little bit of history. In order to identify authentic Sheffield silverplate, you need to look for one significant attribute of the material. A metalworker had to ensure that all of the exposed edges of a particular piece had to be covered with a rim of silver. If not, the middle layer, which comprised copper, would show through. This would reveal that the piece was not sterling silver.
Don’t just trot out your matching crystal, silver and porcelain once or twice a year. Make a habit of mixing high and low when setting the table. To pair with your everyday contemporary tableware, find antique and vintage Sheffield silverplate on 1stDibs as well as silverplate by goldsmith and tableware companies such as Christofle, Elkington & Co. and more.