ANTIQUE APPRAISAL: ANTIQUE SILVER

American silversmithing, while certainly not as old when compared to the Egyptians of more than 3,000 years ago, nevertheless does date back to the early 1600’s. When preparing an antique silver appraisal, it is vital to know as much as possible about the originating country, and the silversmith. This information allows the trained appraiser at EmailAppraisals.com to determine not only the date but the importance of the designer-silversmith.

The earliest American-made silver was largely produced in the larger cities, but in time the craft spread to smaller towns and villages. Much of the production in the rural areas was well designed and highly in demand. Since the silversmiths in the smaller markets were not able to get large quantities of silver for their work, they generally produced smaller quantities, and thus the few remaining pieces today often are highly valued when listed in an antique silver appraisal.

In the 1700’s in America, the English withheld silver from the American craftsmen so that they could keep their own silversmiths busy. The resourceful Americans resorted to melting down coins and buying silver from pirates who raided the ships coming out of the mines in Mexico and South America.  In some cases, buyers would even bring their own silver to the American silversmith for pieces that were made to order.

Over the years, the desire for American-made silver has outstripped the availability. An antique silver appraisal done by a professional appraiser will recognize the degree to which rarity affects the value of certain types of silver. Silver produced in the late-1700’s in Philadelphia, for example, is much in demand, and thus highly valued. The trained antique silver appraiser will know that the epidemics in the Philadelphia area caused most of the important artisans to move elsewhere, and with the inventions of machines to do the work, remaining Philadelphia handmade silver today is scarce. An antique silver appraisal provides the historical background to assure a more accurate valuation.