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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Juan Blanco, post: 1650383, member: 41665&quot;]Ya, this &quot;doesn&#039;t look right&quot; in a half-dozen ways, actually. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p>1) If it <i>obviously looks like</i> Silver-plate, almost certainly it IS silver plate.</p><p>2) Form is mass-produced: if it LOOKS like mid-20th C. artless junk it&#039;s probably NOT SILVER.</p><p>3) Not sure where you folks shop, but I&#039;ve <i>never </i>seen genuine silver marked w/ manufacturer&#039;s tacky paper labels (and, lacking proper hallmark/stamp.) </p><p>4) &quot;3020&quot; is clearly a machine-engraved model #; a &quot;hallmark&quot; or &quot;stamp&quot; it isn&#039;t.</p><p>5) Cheap custom engraving (skimping on characters) signals <i>very low-cost </i>gift: you typically don&#039;t engrave Reed &amp; Barton like dept store junk.*</p><p>6) Good call on that hinge, clorox ... but that eBay BIN has been up for ages, only a clueless rube would pay that ($30 is a frikken joke.)</p><p><br /></p><p>*Beyond simple initials for a personal jewelry, you do <i>sometimes </i>find mysterious acronyms for discrete mementos in sterling. But the fine quality of the engraving is evident even where the economy of initialling is undeniable. </p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;m no expert, I go by gut instinct on both the heft and aesthetics of the piece: you know quality when you see it (or, you don&#039;t.) Carefully consider trickier examples, train your eyes. Imagine you&#039;re thrifting and you find something with fine form, heavy, unstamped (by definition: no obvious signs of being mass-produced Silver-Plate) and elaborately engraved. The first 1930s-40s case is probably Silver-Plate, but older-looking or more artisanal objects might be sterling (or worth ~$20. if later discovered to be vintage nickel.) IMO</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH]240449.vB[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=CONFIG]240434[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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