Christofle Silver Napkin Holder, real silver?

I found this interesting find. Christofle napkin holder. It seems that there are silver marks, but it is clear that this is just a layer of silver on brass.


Any ideas why this is so and any information on this item.

 

That is not Christofle's silver mark but one of the logo marks for Christofle that can also date your piece which is silverplate or likely silver over copper. https://www.925-1000.com/a_christofle.html

 

Plated yes, but very good quality that has its following. I have done very well selling a few for nice prices. As laura9797 stated, that is not a mark for silver.

 

Wow! What price did you sell these for?

 

Unfortunately after I sell an item I delete all the images except one(for memory’s sake), as I currently have about 6,000 images on my ipad. The last piece I sold about 2 or 3 years ago was this small vase, about 7” tall. Somewhere around 3-4 hundred I believe. I thought I posted it on antiquers but maybe not as I can’t find it now.

 

Christofle plate is one of the few types of plate I'd risk buying-most other brands of plate seem worthless.
PS-Wonder if our experts know of any other firms aside from Elkington worth buying ?

 

Mappin and Webb isn’t bad. And anything which can be attributed to Christopher dresser.

 

Thanks @Ownedbybear- Love to find an original Dresser piece,though I guess there are some 'authorized' (?) reproductions out there.
PS-Re Repros- Wouldn't mind finding an Electrotype copy of the Ur Helmet-

 

Barker Ellis/Ellis Barker is worth picking up usually. As long as it’s cheap. It has a pretty good base of people that look for it.

WMF of Germany will often sell better than most.

Matthew Boulton stuff has a good market. Then again once you’re into real Sheffield plate most of it will sell well. His name in particular is good though.

Ornate offerings from Reed & Barton, Meriden, Wilcox, and other American firms from civil war era to aesthetic movement era I always do well with. They can often be bought cheap.

Some of the smaller American firms from the same era will sell even if the pieces aren’t that special. Regional collectors I assume.


After that anything that’s of exceptional quality or of a rare form is still worth getting. Even the average stuff can sell in small lots on local market places. Noobs to the world of old things don’t always realize that average silver plate isn’t “desirable”. Average old silverplate is still pretty cool looking when you’ve never had anything old or shiny.

I love plate. Mostly because there is so much value to be had in a space most look down their noses at.