Collecting Silver

Collecting silver coins has been a very popular hobby for many years. Silver was considered a very valuable commodity in generations past. Kings always had silver in their coffers.

Silver coins are not the only items of silver collected. Those of wealth and elegance in past decades always had silver utensils, tea sets, and serving trays to impress their family and guests, when throwing a dinner party or society gathering.

Depending on which era you choose to collect from, or if you want several eras, silver is beautiful. Whether it is polished or tarnished, it holds an elegance of its own. Tarnished silver gives the ambiance of age and antiquity, and polished silver the image of wealth and success.

If you are going to collect silver, you need to educate yourself first on the details of original designs and pieces, since there are frauds, imitations and forgeries out there. You may even find that some original pieces have been modified, upgraded or repaired.

Silver used to be considered of great value and the cost was extravagant. Only the well to do could afford to have silver pieces in their households. Around the 1850s, when electroplating was introduced, the value and price of silver diminished.

The first silver items introduced in the years of the first colonists were for functional use only but as time went by they became items of value and desire. Today the first silver items to be invested are usually utensils and flat ware, but back in our forefathers day it was cups, mugs, candlesticks, platters, plates and other useful kitchen uses. By the 1890s everyone had their own silver napkin ring, snuffer stand, or silver ink stand. During that same era, silver monograms, engraved mugs or cups became popular as baby gifts.