Is my baking spoon silver?

[lupitt]

Hello

First time on here, and I've absolutely no idea where to post a completely unknown item so forgive me if it's in the wrong place!

I have three metal baking spoons which I've been using for the past 15 years. They were my mothers and grandmothers baking spoons prior to that! I've onlly just noticed they are marked and I have absolutely no idea what the marks are. Two are stamped 'Peruvian Silver' the other isn't.

They are thin, bent, and go through the dishwasher almost daily, so I've no interest in value, I'd just love to know what the marks mean!

Thanks in advance for any help.

All three spoons look identical apart from the marks, hence only one photo of the actual spoon in full.

[user701]

The top photo with WP in a crown is marked for William Page, Sheffield.
http://www.925-1000.com/silverplate_P.html

I am not sure about the second set of marks.

[2209patrick]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Agree that your top mark is a silverplate mark used by William Page of Birmingham England.

Bottom mark was used by Thomas Hands & Sons of Birmingham.
We seldom see his marks.
Thomas Hands started using the shield mark around 1899. Don't know how long the firm was in business.
Peruvian Silver was a trademark used by Hands & Sons on a nickle silver alloy.



Pat.

[lupitt]

Thank you so much for the quick reply! Forgive my ignorance but can you explain what a nickle silver alloy is?

[2209patrick]

You're welcome.

Check out alpacca here:
http://www.925-1000.com/silverglossary.html

Today, nickel silver alloys are mostly used as base metals under silverplate.
However, early in it's history nickle silver (alpacca, German silver) was often used by itself for flatware.
Companies often used diffent trade names for this metal.
For example, the firm of Daniel & Arter used trademark like Brazillian Silver, Bengal Silver and Indian Silver

Pat.