If you are having trouble identifying the manufacturer of a silverplate or sterling item, see my guide on "Identifying Silver and Sterling Manufacturers". After identifying the manufacturer of your piece, the next step is to find the name of the pattern. There are some wonderful sites out there in cyberspace that will help you determine who made your pattern. One of the best and most thorough is replacements.com. This site lists silver patterns sorted alphabetically by name of manufacturer. Within the manufacturer's list, you can peruse patterns by name alone or click on a link that takes you to a photo gallery of patterns. I have been able to identify the pattern about 90% of the time using this site. Photos make the quest easier for you.  In addition, the site has links to identify the type of piece you have (what DOES a caviar fork look like, anyway?), as well as an opportunity to register unknown patterns. If you do not have success with the previous site, another useful site that helps identify patterns is antiquecupboard.com. Although you will not find as extensive a list here, the photos are often clearer than in the previous site.

So, I hope this guide has been a help in identifying your silver!!! Good luck, and watch my auctions for quality antique sterling, silverplate, and coin silver!!