Elkington Wine Coasters
Antique 19th Century English Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique Late 19th Century English High Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique Late 19th Century English Barware
Sterling Silver
Antique Mid-19th Century English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Recent Sales
Antique 1850s English Early Victorian Barware
Silver Plate
Antique 1870s British Victorian Tableware
Silver Plate
Antique 1880s English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique 1850s English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique 1860s English Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique 1860s British High Victorian Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique 1870s English Other Sheffield and Silverplate
Silver Plate
Antique Mid-19th Century English Sheffield and Silverplate
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Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Soup Tureens
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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.
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