Silver Soldered

[redriva]

I have a 14" round tray from the International Silver Co. that is marked on the back w/ the Co name, under which is 'Silver Soldered', then the # 05002, then "14 IN", followered by the # 47 inside a box. The tray is quite heavy for it's size. Can anyone tell me what I have? Is it solid silver or plated? Thanks!

[dragonflywink]

It's silverplate. "Silver Soldered" is most often found on restaurant/hotel ware, simply indicating that hard silver solder was used to attach any components like handles, feet, spouts, rims, etc. to the body of the piece. The indication of size or capacity on the item ("14 IN" on yours) is also typical. Hotelware usually has extra-heavy plating on a nickel-silver base, made to withstand hard use and the commercial polishing machines, they're often be found with an orange-peel surface from the small bits of metal used in those polishers.

~Cheryl