One workshop, the whole country
We buy from every UK postcode. There is one InstaSilver, in Sheffield, and everything reaches us by tracked post: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the islands, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The rate does not change with your address and neither does the service.
We are deliberately not running a network of local landing pages for every town in Britain. We do not have premises in those towns, and claiming otherwise would be dishonest. What we do have is something more useful: your silver was assayed somewhere, and the mark on it tells you where. The pages below explain what each assay office mark means and what tends to turn up in that part of the country.
Assay offices and what their marks mean
Four UK assay offices are still operating. Five more have closed, and a closed office means a finite supply, which is why those marks can carry a collector premium above metal value.
| City | Town mark | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield | Crown (1773 to 1975), Tudor rose since | Active |
| Birmingham | Anchor (1773 to present) | Active |
| London | Leopard's head (crowned before 1821) | Active |
| Edinburgh | Three-towered castle | Active |
| Glasgow | Tree, bird, bell and fish | Closed 1964 |
| Chester | Sword between three wheatsheaves | Closed 1962 |
| Newcastle | Three castles | Closed 1884 |
| York | Cross charged with five lions | Closed 1850s |
| Exeter | Three-towered castle (crowned X earlier) | Closed 1883 |
If your piece carries a mark from a closed office and is in reasonable condition, have it identified before selling for metal. We do that free and will tell you honestly if it is worth more than we pay.
My city is not listed
That is fine, and it does not change anything about selling to us. The list above is assay offices, not service areas: our service area is the entire United Kingdom. Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff, Belfast, Nottingham, Leicester, Norwich, Plymouth, Aberdeen and everywhere else are all covered on identical terms. Silver from those cities was simply assayed elsewhere, usually in London, Birmingham, Sheffield or Chester.
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.
How it works from anywhere
Weigh your items, get a live quote, and accept to lock the rate for 48 hours. A free Royal Mail QR label appears straight away and the Post Office scans it from your phone. Everything is XRF tested and weighed at our Sheffield workshop, and payment is sent by Faster Payments within 48 hours of your parcel arriving. Anything we cannot buy comes back free. The full process is on how it works, and the timings are in our terms.
Frequently asked questions
Do you buy silver from anywhere in the UK?
Yes. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, plus the Scottish islands. The rate is the same flat 80% of live spot wherever you are, and postage is free and tracked in both directions.
Is there a branch near me?
No, and we would rather say so plainly. We have one location, in Sheffield, and everything else is done by post. Not paying for a network of shops is a large part of how we pay 80% rather than the rates a high street counter can afford.
How long does postage take?
Royal Mail tracked delivery is typically one to two working days on the mainland. Allow an extra day from the Highlands, the islands, Northern Ireland and the far South West. Your rate is locked for 48 hours from acceptance, which covers the time to post rather than the time in transit.
Is my parcel insured?
Every consignment is covered up to £5,000. The label is tracked and signed for from the moment it is first scanned, and anything we cannot buy is returned to you free and insured.
Can I bring silver to you in person?
Sheffield sellers can ask about visiting. Email us first and we will confirm whether we can fit a visit in. It is by prior arrangement only. For everywhere else, post is faster than travelling and costs you nothing.