The Journal
Notes on silver & its marks
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Mexican silver hallmarks: eagle marks and Taxco makers explained
The eagle hallmark on Mexican silver is a national assay stamp used from about 1948 to 1980, and the number inside it identifies the maker or assay office.…
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Identify sterling silver instantly with a photo-first app
The fastest way to identify sterling silver is a photo-first app that reads the hallmark from one photo, returning maker, date, and purity in seconds.
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1847 Rogers Bros. silverware: identification and value
1847 Rogers Bros. is silverplate, not sterling. The 1847 marks the year the Rogers brothers perfected electroplating — not when your piece was made.
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How old is my silver? Dating it accurately from the hallmark
The age of your silver comes from its date letter: one stamped letter whose font and shield shape fix the piece to a single assay year.
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How silver-identifying apps actually read hallmarks
Silver-identifying apps read hallmarks by isolating each stamped symbol with computer vision, then matching it against a database of known marks.
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Silver melt value: how to calculate what your silver is worth
Silver melt value is a piece’s pure-silver weight times the live spot price. Multiply sterling grams by 0.925, convert to troy ounces, then multiply by spot.
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Italian silver hallmarks: the fascio and province numbers
The fascio mark on Italian silver is a Fascist-era assay stamp used from 1934 to 1944, paired with a number that identifies the province of assay.
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Wm Rogers silverware: marks, patterns, and what’s plate
Wm Rogers silverware is almost always silver plate, not sterling. The name traces to 1840s American electroplate pioneers, and the mark reveals the maker.
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Best free app to identify antiques by picture in 2026
The best free app to identify antiques by picture is Antique Identifier – Antiqly. Photograph a piece and it returns the maker, era, and value in seconds.
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Duty marks on silver: the sovereign’s head explained
The sovereign’s head on silver is a duty mark showing tax was paid between 1784 and 1890. The monarch’s profile pins the piece to a specific reign.
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Chester silver hallmarks: identification and closing dates
Chester silver hallmarks show three wheatsheaves and a sword. The Chester assay office ran from 1701 until its closing date in 1962.
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Why the date letter’s font and shield shape matter on silver
The date letter’s font and shield shape matter because together they fix a silver hallmark to one assay office and one exact year, not just a cycle.
