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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: capot1948 on August 05, 2013, 01:43:24 PM
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On the bottom of this set stamped in very, very small letters is E.P.N.S. I've found that to mean electroplated nickel silver or German silver. Realizing it's a completely different type of plating what I'm trying to find out where other than the bottom would the makers mark be? I think I've looked everywhere on these pieces. It looks kind of yellowish in these photos because of the lighting in the kitchen. My wife cleans this set quite frequently even though it entails a lot more work than just using silver polish on it.
(http://www.antique-shop.com/home/chris/Antiques/DSC03699.JPG)
(http://www.antique-shop.com/home/chris/Antiques/DSC03700.JPG)
(http://www.antique-shop.com/home/chris/Antiques/DSC03701.JPG)
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its as it says plated silver..either on brass or copper....
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True, I was just wondering where else other than on the bottom would I find who made this. I've looked inside the rim of the lids, on the bottom of the legs, can't think of anywhere else. Any ideas?
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Generally its on the bottom !! Its possible that it was a light strike and has worn off !! What, other than a good quality silver polish, are you using on it ??
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It's possible, I'll have to look at it closer with a better magnifying glass. I'll let my wife explain what all she does to clean it:
first wash the silver pieces with phosphate-free, scent-free dish soap (use warm water with just a few drops of the detergent) then dry with a soft, clean cloth. Next step is to use equal parts of window cleaner and vinegar (I just use 1/3 cup of each and use a cotton ball for this step). Finally, I use Wright's Silver Cleaner and use a soft cloth to polish to a nice shine. The shine will not be the same as it is on silverplate but it still looks very nice.
And that's how she does it.
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The Wrights is a good product !! Just wanted to know it wasn`t abrasive !!
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The Wrights is a good product !! Just wanted to know it wasn`t abrasive !!
thats what makes you so special Mart....your inquisitiveness,...and always wanting to get to the bottom of things....you leave no stone unturned..... :)
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And it took some Googling to find out how to clean 'German Silver'.
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capot1948, German Silver doesn't contain silver but is made up of nickel, copper and zinc. It is silver in color!
EPNS is silver plated - nickel base with real silver plate!
The items that are not "real" elemental silver are German Silver, Alpacca Silver, Paktong, New Silver...
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Ok, now I'm really confused. This link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPNS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPNS) says that it contains no elemental silver. By looking at these pieces I can tell there is no silver plating. Though they polish up with silver polish they don't have the shine that real silver plated items do.
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LOL !! Just hang around a while,, your confusion is just beginning !! ;D
The key is the word "electroplated" or EP !! And since the one says nickel silver and German Silver contains nickel they are often confused !! German Silver is an alloy that because of its coloring looks like silver but is not !! Nickel silver is the same thing but EPNS has a thin layer of silver on top !! So don`t let someone tell you that German silver,, is just silver from Germany !! Some dealers will try it !!
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Still following along the confused line, Electroplated materials are often stamped EPNS for electroplated nickel or silver, if it doesn't shine like silver plate as our other pieces do can it still be silver plate? I have got to spend less time on FaceBook and Twitter and start reading up on this or I guess or we'll be lost forever.
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You mean you are confused because it cleans with the same thing as silver plate ??
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No, I just didn't think that something marked E.P.N.S. was actually silver plate since it doesn't have the same shine or finish to it. I'll get it right someday.
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Your base metal is Nickel Silver but it is electroplated with a thin layer of silver!
Maybe this article will help clarify
http://www.steptoesantiques.co.uk/acatalog/Identifying_Sterling_Sheffield_Plate_EPNS_Silver.html (http://www.steptoesantiques.co.uk/acatalog/Identifying_Sterling_Sheffield_Plate_EPNS_Silver.html)
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I believe I understand now. This set doesn't have the actual shine of our other silver plated items due to the low amount of silver used in the process. Does that sound correct?
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Still following along the confused line, Electroplated materials are often stamped EPNS for electroplated nickel or silver, if it doesn't shine like silver plate as our other pieces do can it still be silver plate? I have got to spend less time on FaceBook and Twitter and start reading up on this or I guess or we'll be lost forever.
you,re confused....join the club....i,m always confused...on my headstone it will read...."Confusion is my Epitaph...or maybe Wheels of Confusion,... ;D
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Your base metal is Nickel Silver but it is electroplated with a thin layer of silver!
Maybe this article will help clarify
http://www.steptoesantiques.co.uk/acatalog/Identifying_Sterling_Sheffield_Plate_EPNS_Silver.html (http://www.steptoesantiques.co.uk/acatalog/Identifying_Sterling_Sheffield_Plate_EPNS_Silver.html)
Yes, nickel silver is misleading because there's no silver in it. It's just an alloy that is then plated with a thin layer of silver.
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Yes, if my wife wasn't with me when we go on a antique shop hunt I'd probably be driving in circles even with the cars GPS. I find I'm more confused since retiring, maybe it's because I sleep too much now. Anyway, is there anyway to find out the age of these pieces? I'm not concerned about what they're worth.
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Often times , electro-plated materials will wear away from the surface (from polishing,cleaning,environmental effects & etc.) they've been deposited upon & one will see the metal(s) under the plating ... these 'base metals' usually differ from the original platings' appearance , esp when polished-up .
Sometimes there will be other metals (besides the main one/ones an item is made from) electroplated on the surface of the original metal such as nickle , copper & brass , and then the surface of this metal-plating is electroplated with silver , gold , etc. as the 'finish' coating on the surface .
Heavy polishing on these items sometimes will reveal , over time , a multi-layered (& colored!) surface that can be rather unattractive .
Many folks who sell older EP wares avoid polishing them , as doing so would make many buyers go the other way .
You're not alone in hearing many 'things' about EP items , capot1948 !!!
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I think that's what has happened to this set !! Plated silver really should only be polished two or three times yearly !! Just a wash and buff in between !!
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Thanks Mart, I'll make sure my wife knows that and keep that in mind if we get any more of this type.
Chris
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Your base metal is Nickel Silver but it is electroplated with a thin layer of silver!
Maybe this article will help clarify
http://www.steptoesantiques.co.uk/acatalog/Identifying_Sterling_Sheffield_Plate_EPNS_Silver.html (http://www.steptoesantiques.co.uk/acatalog/Identifying_Sterling_Sheffield_Plate_EPNS_Silver.html)
Yes, nickel silver is misleading because there's no silver in it. It's just an alloy that is then plated with a thin layer of silver.
that sounds a bit Chinese..."there,s no silver in it.....but its plated with a thin layer of .....Silver....oh, i,m confused again.....
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See, that's how I'm getting confused. I guess it to mean that there is no silver 'in' the alloy but the alloy is 'coated' with a thin layer of silver that will easily come off?
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See, that's how I'm getting confused. I guess it to mean that there is no silver 'in' the alloy but the alloy is 'coated' with a thin layer of silver that will easily come off?
eureka!!...you,ve hit the nail on the head....so to speak....who,s a clever boy then...no more confusion..... ;D
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See, that's how I'm getting confused. I guess it to mean that there is no silver 'in' the alloy but the alloy is 'coated' with a thin layer of silver that will easily come off?
Yes, even though in this instance the base metal alloy is known as nickel silver. It was given that name because of how it looks, not what it's made from.
Some silver plate looks more like silver but there's always the difference in how they reflect light
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Yep, I've got it now. I understand the ins and outs of E.P.N.S. now and I've let my wife know that all she needs to do is clean it periodically with her cleaning solution and just polish a couple of times a year.
Chris
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See, that's how I'm getting confused. I guess it to mean that there is no silver 'in' the alloy but the alloy is 'coated' with a thin layer of silver that will easily come off?
Now you got it !! Thin surface layer over base metal !!