www.925-1000.com

Recently, I picked up a silver fruit knife that, thanks to people on the website who have helped educate me on them, I've been able to identify as made by Gorham in the 1855-1860 period. Unlike the last one I acquired, "Sterling" does not appear on the tang. Does this mean the knife was probably made of coin silver? Or possibly are the hafts silverplate? This type of knife is so commonly found that it would be a help to get some guidance on how to gauge what they're made of.

I'd say the blade and the outer parts of the handle are made of 900/1000 pure silver. Nice find.

The left-facing lion and the Roman 'G' would date it to somewhere between 1852/3 and the mid 1860s...

~Cheryl

Thanks for your helpful replies. As someone still in the beginner stage of folding fruit knife collecting, I'm getting the impression that American knives made prior to 1864 or so, and not stamped explicitly "Sterling," (or that are evidently silverplated), can probably be assumed to be 900/1000 "coin silver." Sound about right?