The Book of Old Silver: English, American, Foreign with All Available Hallmarks including Sheffield Plate Marks [Hardcover]

Seymour B. Wyler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2008

A history and guide to Old Silver and Old Sheffield Plate, with the most comprehensive table of hallmarks ever published in one book.

Here is the fascinating story of the great silversmiths and their art. All the factors of interest to the amateur, collector or connoisseur of Old Silver and Old Sheffield Plate are authoritatively covered:The development of design in tea services, flatware, candlesticks, trays, cups. Values and scarcity. Where to buy. How to collect. How to detect frauds. Reproductions. And most important, this book permits the exact and indisputable identification of Old Silver by means of the Hallmark tables. These are conveniently and simply arranged so that anyone may trace in a few moments any hallmarked piece of silver of American, English, Sheffield, French, German or other European origin.The splendid pictures are from photographs of authentic pieces from the foremost dealers in Antique Silver.

Mr. Seymour B. Wyler, himself a well-known New York dealer, is regarded both in this country and abroad as an authority.

"What the Kovels don't know about antiques," says House Beautiful, "isn't worth knowing."

Editorial Reviews

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Kovels' Depression Glass & American Dinnerware Price List

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The inexpensive pastel-colored glassware that became popular from 1925 on and the ceramic dinnerware produced during the same period are now attracting collectors in great numbers. Here are the latest most accurate prices, based on a comprehensive survey of actual sales, shows, catalogs, auctions, and other reliable sources.

Kovels' Guide To Selling Your Antiques & Collectibles

by Ralph and Terry Kovel

Updated Edition

This short, handy pocket-size guide tells you how to sell your antiques and collectibles for the best possible price. What is the right market for your particular collection? Should you have your items professionally appraised? Should you sell to a friend? How do you take table space at a flea market? These are just some of the questions that the Kovels answer. They give advice on how to sell more than seventy-five categories of collectibles -- from baseball cards, beer cans, carousel figures, coins, decoys, furniture, and glass to music boxes, postcards, toys, and Western art.

The Collector's Encyclopedia of Dolls

by Dorothy S., Elizabeth A., and Evelyn J. Coleman

A truly encyclopedic volume for the doll collector, antiques lover, and social historian, containing over 2,000 illustrations and marks.

Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price List

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A complete, updated, and expanded guide to the antiques market with more than 50,000 items listed. Over 500 illustrations. Helpful tips on preserving your antiques and collectibles.

The Encyclopedia of Furniture

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A complete revised edition of the famous Encyclopedia of Furniture, covering every period and development to the present, the designers and makers, the woods and other materials, the architecture and decoration. Glossary, bibliography. 2,000 photographs.

Know Your Antiques

Revised Edition

How to Recognize and Evaluate Any Antique -- Large or Small -- Like an Expert by Ralph and Terry Kovel

Ideal for the beginner. Detailed advice about recognition, evaluation, and care of antiques, and identification of fakes.

About the Author

Ralph and Terry Kovel are the authors of the nationally syndicated newspaper column "Kovels Antiques and Collecting," and they can also be seen on public television in "Kovels on Collecting."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Crown Publishers (December 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 051700089X
• ISBN-13: 978-0517000892
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.8 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #370,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Precious Metals

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The classic book on antique English silver!, March 24, 2001

By 

Phillip Pessar (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Book of Old Silver: English, American, Foreign with All Available Hallmarks including Sheffield Plate Marks (Hardcover)

This book is a must have if you collect antique English silver. If you only want one book on the subject this is it. If you collect American or European silver, this book would not be my first choice. You can't get more info on antique English silver including hallmarks, history, and the different pieces of flatware and holloware that were made with any other Silver book I have ever read.

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Book of Old Silver, April 21, 2000

By 

kim stucker (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Old Silver: English, American, Foreign with All Available Hallmarks including Sheffield Plate Marks (Hardcover)

An excellent reference book for all your silver identification. Easy to read and far more comprehensive in information than its competitors. Highly recommended to identify your silver pieces.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good reference, November 24, 2003

By 

merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Old Silver: English, American, Foreign with All Available Hallmarks including Sheffield Plate Marks (Hardcover)

I bought this one, along withe another (Sterling Flatware Identification & Value Guide) for my mom and she uses it a lot. I think she uses the other one more but she always has both on hand. It has a lot of good info on how to id a piece, great pictures of hallmarks etc.