Whether it be antiques, bullion or scrap, we are one of the UK’s leading dealers in silver and are sure to be able to meet your requirements.

Bullion

We sell bullion as bars, coins and grain. The prices are based on weight and the day’s market value. Please contact us for more information.

Antique & second hand Silver Exchange (prices based on metal value)

The great increase in metal prices over the past few years has led us to reassess the way we price a large selection of our commercial stock. The affected stock includes a large percentage of hollowware and flatware that we have traditionally sold to retailers.

We now sell this stock in one of two ways:

1. In bulk at just above the day’s scrap price
2. In exchange for redundant stock or scrap metal

Our large stock of antique and second-hand silver that is priced according to its weight is changing on a daily basis and is open to view for all members of the retail and antique trade (appointment required). The photos show a selection of typical hollowware stock included within our silver exchange services.

Our flatware stock includes canteens, serving items, boxed sets, runs of 6/12 in a profusion of patterns, dating from the 18th to 21st centuries and made both in London & Sheffield.

One of the most popular benefits for retailers is to freshen up their stock: people bring in their unwanted stock and leave with fresh stock. In effect we are recycling the silver articles back in to the trade.

The types of items that we generally keep in stock as part of our silver exchange scheme include:

• Bowls, dishes, vases, condiments sets, mugs, cups, jugs, sauceboats, napkin rings, inkstands etc
• Trays and salvers
• Tea & Coffee Sets
• Flatware including canteens and serving items
• Candlesticks & candelabra.

Trade visits

Trade visits We welcome appointments by antique silver dealers and retailers to view our ever changing stock of silverware. Please make an appointment by telephoning 01594 546328 or emailing [email protected]

You can visit to:

• Sell scrap and redundant stock
• Buy fresh stock
• Exchange old stock for new.

UK Silver Exchange

The rising value of silver as a metal has had a huge impact on the antique silver market. The antique and aesthetic value of many articles has been overtaken by its intrinsic metal value.

Many antique and second-hand silver items are now valued by their metal content (i.e. weight) and their value will fluctuate in accordance to the day’s silver price. We buy many antiques in this way, but will not necessarily scrap them as we use them as part of our silver exchange program.

Items of particular interest will be valued above scrap rates or on their own merits as an antique. Please see our antique silver pages for more information.

ARTICLE: What has happened to the antique silver market?

Antique silver has historically been valued according to its age, quality, condition and desirability. The quality aspect of these criteria includes workmanship and weight. The latter has now become the major determining factor for many pieces.

As the price of metal has increased, more and more items have been out-priced as articles. This means that the age, quality of workmanship, condition and desirability of objects are no longer the driving force of their value – the weight is the most important feature. Lower down the price spectrum, for example damaged items, poor quality items, undesirable or obsolete pieces, or for items where there has been too much supply for the market demand, the increasing metal price soon overtook the article value. As the metal price has risen higher, more and more items have been overwhelmed by the metal price.

The chart below shows how the rising silver price has overtaken the value of a selection of items at different times/metal prices.

It shows that a historically difficult item to sell, such as a cigarette case was out priced early in the price rise (at £5/oz). An item, such as a salver, that was produced in many thousands and for which demand can no longer compete with the quantity in supply was outstripped at £10/oz. A good quality set of Victorian flatware was overtaken at £15/oz and even a 200 year old Georgian teapot was briefly out-priced at £20/oz. As the price of sterling silver continues to fluctuate we see goods falling in and out of the “scrap value” category and if prices rise higher, then superior quality pieces will be swallowed up by the alternate price that can be achieved by scrapping.

It can be somewhat sobering to think that at the higher scrap price levels, a fairly obsolete cigarette case has an equal value in terms of £/oz as a fine quality Victorian teapot. However, on the positive side for owners of such goods, both items have increased in value because of the strong bullion market.

There is salvation to be had for antique lovers. Items that are particularly stylish, well-made or of a superior quality can still be bought and sold as antiques. Even if they have had their historical value outstripped by the metal price, they are generally able to maintain an antique value at or just above scrap price. Their value will rise and fall with the bullion market. Consequently, we will salvage such items from the scrap and give them the opportunity of a second life!

We actively encourage dealers and retailers to trade in their redundant antique stock for some fresh stock priced at just above scrap price. This will give a new look to display cabinets and shelves. Their redundant stock may well be just the right piece for another dealer and for us complete a satisfying process of recycling.

August 2019