What is Continental European Silverware and Hollowware worth?

European Silver Spoons

What is Continental European Silverware and Hollowware worth? In general the vast majority of silverware and hollowware made of 92.5% pure silver or 80% pure silver made in continental European countries are only going to worth their melt or intrinsic silver value.

For one reason or another, the countries of Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, and the other member countries of the European Union, just never really produced much notable great silver. Unlike, The United States, Russia, and England the Europeans were just a lot less interested in producing spectacular silver items.

Now this is not to say that Europe didn't produce any good silver whatsoever. You can always find some awesome pieces inside of castles, chateaus, museums and great country homes made by silversmiths that catered to royalty, but you seldom see much else in private hands owned by the general public.

The designs for the masses made by European manufacturers tend to be plain and simple. Even the pieces that are more ornate have a tendency to be worth less in the antique silver market than their English, American or Russian counterparts. This beautiful ornate try show below is worth around half as much as one that would had been made in America, England or Russia.

German Tray 800 Fine

A lot of the European silver is also made of lower purity than American or English silver. Both England and the United States adopted the 92.5% silver standard for a very long time, whereas the European countries were all over the place with purities varying from 80% to 92.5% fine.

Europe also lacked some of the famous silversmiths and manufacturers that England, America and Russian had. American had Tiffany, Gorham, Reed & Barton, Wallace, Towle, and several dozen others. England had Elkington, C.J. Vander and many other makers. Russia had Faberge. Most of these companies dated back hundreds of years.

However, in Europe there's really only mainly Buccellati, Georg Jensen and Christofle which are all more contemporary from the 20th Century and most of these catered more to the very rich. There just weren't too many manufacturers in Europe that catered to making really really good silverware for the more comman man or upper middle class or nouveau rich business class.

Conclusion: If you have European silver, unless it was made for royalty or made by a hand full of European companies or silversmiths that catered to the very wealthy or royalty, chances are the silver that you own from Europe is only going to worth money for its silver value. It is not likely going to be worth much more than that, especially if it is a plainer and somewhat uninteresting design.

European Silver

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Sterling Silver Buyers wants to purchase your antique silver collections of flatware and hollowware items! Please sell your sterling silver items to Sterling Silver Buyers!