Anyone Familiar With Sterling Flatware & Hallmarks?

It is pretty safe to say knives blades are not silver of course but stainless steel rather, an often the inside handle is filled with other metals or even clay in some older examples, so say 10 penny weight on big knives an 5 on butters is a pretty safe estimate....

Just because it says sterling does not mean it is solid. You often wanna look for a .925 stamp for example, an some European examples I think can be like .800....

The lion hallmark is probably a good thing, an I also didn't notice any discoloration or tarnishing style toning, which is a dead sign for Rodger's brothers plated silver, lol. Even though real examples can do the same thing, like an old solid sterling tea pot a regular always boasts of finding for next to nothing at a garage sell, in which he claims turns different colors throughout the year on his mantel....

I can call out a large serving tray or bowl as plated seeing it being carried across a parking lot from about 25 yards before the person even enters the store....

That looks to me like the handle of an item from a carving set. Weight on those varies but with the large guard between the handle & the utensil it could be an ounce or more. Here's a link to a good sight for sterling hallmark identification:

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

These were made by Towle Silver out of Massachusetts. The company started in 1882 and they are sill in business.

I was mixing it up with coinage. I guess that wouldn't fall under the category of silver plated since there is virtually no silver in silver plating. So there is a lot less actual silver in silverware than I imaged. Thanks. I'm completely in the dark on the subject.

Great call 007, did not even think about that flange guard, an being a larger carving knife....