InstaSilver is a Sheffield business. We are a trading name of InstaGold Ltd, registered at Unit 3 Parkway Link, Kettlebridge Road, Sheffield S9 3AJ, and our workshop is here in the city. Almost all selling is done by post, because it is tracked, insured and simpler for everyone. Sheffield sellers can ask about visiting: email us first and we will confirm whether we can fit one in. Visits are by prior arrangement only and we cannot accept callers without one.
Sheffield is the silver city
More British silver flatware was made here than anywhere else in the country. Sheffield's cutlery trade dominated the industry from the eighteenth century onwards, which is why so much of the sterling that turns up in British households, wherever it now lives, was struck a few miles from where we work.
The city also gave its name to Old Sheffield Plate, the fused silver-on-copper sheet invented locally in the 1740s. It matters here more than anywhere because Sheffield houses are full of it, and it is the single most common thing mistaken for solid silver. Old Sheffield Plate carries a maker's mark but no assay office town mark and no lion passant, and worn examples show a warm copper blush at the rims and high points. It has no recoverable silver content, so we cannot buy it. If you're unsure, send it anyway and we'll test it and tell you free.
Reading a Sheffield hallmark
Sheffield was granted assay office status in 1773, by the same Act of Parliament that gave Birmingham its anchor. The town mark was a crown for just over two hundred years. Following the Hallmarking Act 1973 it changed to a Tudor rose from 1975, partly to avoid confusion with the crown used as a gold fineness mark.
That single change is a useful dating shortcut. A crown means your piece was assayed here before 1975; a rose means after. Most antique Sheffield silver carries the crown, which is why many people still describe Sheffield silver as "crown marked". Either way, the mark that confirms the metal is the lion passant struck alongside it.
What silver pays today
The same flat rate applies wherever you are. These figures recalculate from the live spot price:
| Typical lot | Sterling weight | We pay |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed jewellery | 80g | £— |
| Odd flatware | 300g | £— |
| Six-place canteen | 1,400g | £— |
| Tea service with tray | 2,500g | £— |
Sterling holds £— of silver per gram at today's spot price, and we pay 80% of that: £— per gram. Put your own weight into the live calculator for an exact figure.
Selling from Sheffield
Weigh your silver in grams and enter it for a live quote. Accepting locks that rate for 48 hours, and a free Royal Mail QR label appears immediately: no printer needed, the Post Office counter scans it from your phone. Every item is XRF tested and weighed at our Sheffield workshop, and payment is made by Faster Payments within 48 hours of your parcel reaching us. Full detail is on how it works.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my silver to you in person in Sheffield?
Sometimes, by prior arrangement. Most selling is done by post because it is tracked, insured and simpler for everyone. We are a real Sheffield business with real premises, so email us first and we will confirm whether we can fit a visit in and when.
Is Old Sheffield Plate worth anything?
Not for metal value. It is a thin layer of silver fused to a copper core, and there is no economically recoverable silver in it. It can hold genuine antique and collector value though, particularly early or unusual pieces, so it is worth a specialist valuation before anything is melted. We will identify it free and return it to you.
Does a Sheffield hallmark make my silver worth more?
Not for scrap value: a gram of Sheffield sterling and a gram of London sterling contain identical silver and pay identically. Sheffield marks are common precisely because the city produced so much, so they carry no scarcity premium.
What does a crown mark on my silver mean?
On silver, a crown was the Sheffield assay office town mark from 1773 until 1975. Combined with a lion passant it confirms sterling silver assayed in Sheffield before that date. Note that a crown is also used as a fineness mark on gold, which is exactly why Sheffield changed to the rose.