Question about silver markings on antique dinnerware

[Sheba]

Hi all,

I just ran across some antique (old) pieces of dinnerware in a box stored from either my late mother's items or my late mother's in law items. A few are clearly marked "silver plate" so I realize there is no silver value there, sterling or otherwise.

But several pieces (gravy ladle, etc) are fairly heavy and do not say 'silver plate' stamped anywhere. However they are tarnished the way one would expect silver or silver plate to tarnish. Stamped into handles along with the name of the producer (such as 'Rogers, etc) are the initials "I S". Can someone tell me what those intials mean? Are they just another way of designating silver plate, or do they designate some amount of real silver, sterling or otherwise in the dinner ware?

Thanks for any help anyone can be in answering this questions. I have several pieces so marked. Also have a 'bunch' of 'old' ("antique") dinnerware pieces (not in a set however. These particular peices are clearly marked 'silver plate'. Is there any 'antique market' for such things or are they best headed to 'Goodwill', etc.? Thanks again!

sheba

[OneBiteAtATime]

I would assume this is

"International Silver"

Most likely silverplate.

[Sheba]

Thanks OneBiteataTime! That is the same answer I got from others on another forum too. <sigh> ... maybe next time it will be the real stuff.

Goodwill here we come!

[OneBiteAtATime]

Thanks OneBiteataTime! That is the same answer I got from others on another forum too. <sigh> ... maybe next time it will be the real stuff.

Goodwill here we come!

Stack it up. My local scrapyard buys it as brass.

[fasTT]

Anything Rogers is silver plated.

Anything IS is silverplated, unless it also says "International Sterling" on it.

[joemac]

I think you might also see A1, which to my knowledge is the quality of the plate.

[Robarons]

Flatware is very easy:
Sterling
Ster.
Coin (90% American, sometimes unmarked)
.925 or 925/1000
900
800 or 800/1000
720
Foreign Silver Marks- Rampant Lion, heads of Monarchs, '84' and a head for Russian, Usually offical silver markings given by Govt or Assay offices
****Foreign Silver mark items are hardest to find and many companies created their own marks to make it look like silver assay marks but their not so be very careful!

Thats the flatware markings that show silver- thats it pretty much world wide. Extremely hard to find unmarked silver as well, outside of coin silver American spoons.

[OneBiteAtATime]

Its been posted elsewhere onsite, but here is a nice reference for silver marks:

http://www.925-1000.com/