Copper Food Dome
Antique Late 19th Century Hollywood Regency Platters and Serveware
Copper, Silver Plate
Early 20th Century French Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate
People Also Browsed
Antique Early 1900s English Art Nouveau Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique Early 1800s English George III Sterling Silver
Sterling Silver
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Mantel Clocks
Bronze
Antique Early 1900s English Art Deco Carts and Bar Carts
Silver Plate
Antique 1850s English Platters and Serveware
Silver Plate
Antique 19th Century English Regency Sheffield and Silverplate
Sheffield Plate
Early 20th Century Italian Modern Busts
Terracotta
Antique Early 1900s English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
20th Century Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique 19th Century Unknown Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Tea Sets
Silver Plate
Antique Mid-19th Century English Rococo Tea Sets
Silver Plate, Copper
Antique Late 19th Century French Other Animal Sculptures
Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Planters, Cachepots and Jardinières
Ceramic, Majolica
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique Early 1700s Maps
Paper
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century British Edwardian Serving Pieces
Other
Antique Early 19th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Sheffield Plate
Antique 19th Century Turkish Islamic Bottles
Metal, Brass, Copper
Antique Mid-19th Century British George III Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique 19th Century Serving Pieces
Silver Plate
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.
Read More
How the Chunky, Funky Ceramics of 5 Mid-Century American Artists Balanced Out Slick Modernism
Get to know the innovators behind the pottery countercultural revolution.
Ready for a Cinderella Moment? This Glass Handbag Is a Perfect Fit
Glass slippers might be the stuff of fairytales, but glass handbags? Artist Joshua Raiffe has made them a reality, and they're far less delicate than you might imagine, but just as dreamy.
With Dansk, Jens Quistgaard Delivered Danish Simplicity to American Tables
When a visionary Copenhagen designer teamed up with an enterprising Long Island couple, Scandi-style magic landed in kitchens and dining rooms across the United States.
Hostess Extraordinaire Aerin Lauder Shares Entertaining Tips and Auction Picks
The arbiter of good taste, who has curated a collection for 1stDibs Auctions, invites 1stDibs inside her family’s Hamptons barn for a firsthand look at her welcoming style.
Handmade with Lab-Grade Glass, This Decanter Holds Your Favorite Cocktail Concoctions
Artist Simone Crestani conjures the fascination you remember from Chemistry 101.
28 Cheerful Home Bars, Where Everybody (Literally) Knows Your Name
Simple or sophisticated, equipped with console, cart or custom cabinetry, these stylish bar areas deserve a toast.
Meet the Celebrated Hostess Whose Magical Tabletops Enhance Every Occasion
For Stephanie Booth Shafran, entertaining guests is about opening her heart as well as her home.
How to Identify Real Capodimonte Porcelain
Early examples by the Italian manufacturer can be hard to come by, but the best later pieces possess the same over-the-top charm.