silverplated tableware : what does I S mean ?

Aug 27, 2006
1,643
3
WHAT KIND OF TREASURE ARE WE HUNTING TODAY ?
Detector(s) used
MINELAB E TRAC, EXCAL2,QUATTRO,WHITE 6000 DI PRO SL,EAGLE SPECTRUM,SILVER UMAX ,BANDIDO UMAX VARIOUS VINTAGE
kinda gettin in gear to learn more about silver and silverplate.knife fork and spoons.seen a lot of silver or plated table ware at the auctions cheap lately. everybody knows .marked sterling is silver. or hallmarked european.but what does I S stand for.does it mean silver.? i have quite a few pieces marked I S .AND IT WILL SAY A COMPANY NAME ALSO. also i assume that its plated over copper.so that should make thrift store silverplate a good deal at 5 to 25 cents ea? also a lot of plate is by famous companies. rogers,oneida ,tiffany.even if plated might be worth $$ as long as not damaged ?
 

tanner

Jr. Member
Dec 5, 2007
43
0
always test it with a magnet.....i was given jewelery last week that was marked sterling silver plain as day but stuck to a magnet like there was no tomorrow...
 

skippy

Greenie
Aug 2, 2007
18
0
Most (all?) old plated silverware is plated on a base of 'nickel silver' - an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc (60:20:20 or so)
If you can find someone who will buy it, it's worth similar to brass or copper
 

Old_Okie

Sr. Member
Jun 14, 2007
258
30
IS is also used to denote silver inlay, which is a heavier form of plate, particularly in the heavy wear areas of flatware. Bottom line, it is higher quality plate ware, but still a coating over base metal.

old_okie
 

OP
OP
scrounger d detector collector
Aug 27, 2006
1,643
3
WHAT KIND OF TREASURE ARE WE HUNTING TODAY ?
Detector(s) used
MINELAB E TRAC, EXCAL2,QUATTRO,WHITE 6000 DI PRO SL,EAGLE SPECTRUM,SILVER UMAX ,BANDIDO UMAX VARIOUS VINTAGE
i was told IS means inlaid silver.a plating so thin it isnt worth recovering even if silver prices doubled from now.this checks out on wikipedia. international silver is a company not a rating.kind of confusing.its interesting how they made the IS to look like a hallmark. which would denote good quality,when in fact its the sign of crap.well not crap actually, some IS pcs can be pretty valuable from the right maker.
 

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