What is coin silver.

[jean2579]

I have been looking for silver table pieces and have noticed that as well as sterling and solid silver there is also a category of items made from coin silver. Could any one please explaiin it.

[kopenhagen5]

Fine silver is 99.9% pure. Too soft for most things.

Sterling silver is 92.5% mixed with mostly copper.

Coin silver is 90% and 10%copper. Not as pure but stronger.

[cactusmike71070]

its usually american,in an effort to avoid all things british created by colonialists european coins were melted down and cast into flatware,serveware,etc usually 90 percent silver as america hadnt standardised sterling silver until 1870 so after that time sterling standard was brought into america,apparently now in america it is law to have 925 stamped on silver items 

[cactusmike71070]

i myself colect small silver items mainly english hallmarked and there is an abundance on ebay at sometimes very cheap prices,usually muc cheaper than from australia?

[siddieswans]

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@cactusmike71070 wrote:

i myself colect small silver items mainly english hallmarked and there is an abundance on ebay at sometimes very cheap prices,usually muc cheaper than from australia?

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That's because there's so much more if IT, because there's always been so many more of THEM. Small silver items, particularly novelty items, are always thought to be great collectables - see what they buy on Bargain Hunt! Easy to display, doesn't take up much room when packed away, and has some intrinsic (silver) value. Also with the UK hallmarking system, it is easy to identify what you are buying (as long as it is an original unaltered item.)

So what may be commonplace in UK, may be quite unusual here, just because not so much of it has made its way out to us. So if you buy direct from the UK (as on eBay) you will generally get cheaper prices than those achieved at B&M auctions. And the postage cost will be quite small. The prices of UK items sold by people on eBay Australia reflects either what they paid here, or what they have seen similar items achieve here.  However if dealers keep importing bucket loads of the stuff, they will end up devaluing it here, much as they have done with their container loads of French furniture.

Australian made silver always does well, both here and at B&M auctions. Sadly, because it is one of my collecting areas.

[cactusmike71070]

as far as bricks and mortar auctions here in perth silver items rarely sell and ive been to auctions and hardly any silver items are sold due to high reserve prices put on everything,been to auctions where half of all listings dont sell due to unrealistic reserve prices so most of stuff goes to next auction,its no wonder that very few auction houses specialising in antiques are left here,guess the internet has a part to play in that as ive seen silver pieces at bricks and mortar acutions i can buy on ebay for a fifth of price,dealers dont even go to these auctions as prices are so close to retail its not funny?

[siddieswans]

As we have discussed before, it is entirely different here in Sydney, where there are usually so many auctions each weekend, that you could not comfortably view / attend / bid at them all. Except for this weekend; being Mother's Day, the auctioneers have decided that Mothers don't like auctions, and have given themselves the weekend off.

[cactusmike71070]

only one antique auction house that has auctions every 2 weeks and another maybe once a month thats about it but most of stuff is so overpriced not even dealers i know are going there much,rather have acutions like on bargain hunt where highest bid wins and thats it

[privateone]

Be careful with hall marks. Lots of fakes going around. You really have to know what the mark is and where the makers place it on their wares. If in doubt ask an expert! 

[cactusmike71070]

fakes are not common at all especially with english hallmarks,never come across any