posted 12-01-2005 11:39 PM            

One is a spoon marked EPNS A1? Made In England it's has a shell type design on top handle and top underbelly of spoon.

The next is a bowl marked Gorham EP yc780, with sailor hook in middle of E and P

Last is a tall tea pot? marked Warren Silver Plate Company Quadruple Plate New York 96 E.

Are they antiques?

posted 12-02-2005 12:08 AM            

I know a couple of the answers, though (amazing!).

EPNS: electro plate nickel silver (silver plate over a nickel alloy).
A1: is another designation of silver plate (not solid silver). I don't know if it really means anything, but if you see A1 on anything you know it is plated. I think some manufacturers tried to say their A1 plate was it's best plate.
Made in England: Well, it speaks for itself except that it usually means (others may debate this as silver is different then other items) 1915 or newer 20th century piece as before that they wouldn't have put the 'made in'. Probably an export piece made for the US or other market.
Gorham: a major manufacturer in America that made some electroplated items, but mainly sterling.

E: electro
P: plate

quadruple plate means four times as heavily plated as standard plate. Often used on nice quality items.

Antique? Nobody can tell you that without pictures, but I believe your quadruple plate could be earlier than your others. Warren Silverplate Co was around 1890/1900.Somewhere in there. Other can tell you more specifically.

'tall tea pot' could be a chocolate pot (the year is right for one),but I couldn't say for sure without seeing a picture.

On silver plated items any missing silver plate is not a good thing.

Value?
I'm tired of being snipped.

posted 12-02-2005 12:49 PM            

It is not that value is not considered here but rather that many of the moderators and members appraise silver and other objects for a living. If we want them to appraise our things, we should pay them for the service. As a college professor I may share some knowledge for free in public lectures, but I don't teach classes for free. If some one taped all my lectures and passed them off as their own for a profit, I would be in a lawyer's office in a hot second. Information (intellectual property) has value like anything else, and beyond a certain point the purveyor of it should be compensated.

As for the term antique, another thread (which you may not be able to access) has gone on about this at some length. The legal definition of antique worldwide (for customs and tax purposes at least) seems to be more than 100 years old.

posted 12-02-2005 04:44 PM            

It is annoying to have everyone want to know what something is worth. There are plenty of avenues to get an idea of what someone might pay for something. My comments were rather tongue in cheek because in the very short time I've been yapping on here I must have seen 20 inquiries asking about worth. No wonder you regulars have short tempers about it! I think it is perfectly okay and refreshing that this board doesn't wallow in that and am beginning to understand why you are so strict.

posted 12-02-2005 05:52 PM            

We're on the same page! By the way, I think the movie was "Gulliver's Travels" or maybe it just had similar scene with the yahoos digging for shiney rocks.

Regards,
Tom