Silver Fineness & Purity Explained
925 = sterling (92.5% pure). 958 = Britannia standard (95.8% pure)—often with the Britannia figure and/or 958. 800 = continental (80% pure). You may see these numerals or symbols alongside other marks (assay office, sponsor, optional date letter); this URL is the fineness dictionary. Step-by-step reading of a full row and dating is in our hallmarks blog and external date-letter tables.
Common marks:
- 925, Sterling, lion passant = sterling. 958, Britannia figure = Britannia standard (higher fineness than 925).
- EPNS, EPBM, A1 = silver plated, not solid silver.
This page’s job: fineness and stamp meanings—not live spot charts. For money, see silver price & valuation guide and scrap silver value. Authenticity: how to tell if silver is real. Sell: sell your silver.
Dating silver & reading full hallmark rows
For step-by-step dating, office cycles, and how marks sit together on a piece, use our Ultimate guide to identifying silver hallmarks. This URL stays focused on what each fineness or plated stamp means so it does not compete with that long-form article.
- 925 / Sterling / lion passant = solid sterling. 958 / Britannia figure = higher UK fineness. EPNS, EPBM, A1 = plated—not priced like solid silver.
- UK compulsory marks since 1999: assay office, numerical fineness, sponsor’s mark. Traditional lion and date letter are optional on newer pieces.
- For money after you know the fineness, use scrap silver value and how valuation works; for dating, use the hallmarks blog.
Need help reading a stamp?
Send clear photos of marks and the whole item—we can interpret fineness and suggest next steps (scrap vs specialist).
What Are Silver Purity Marks? (925, 958, 800)
Silver purity marks (fineness marks) show how much pure silver is in the item, usually in parts per thousand. The most common in the UK and internationally are:
Sterling silver
92.5% pure silver, 7.5% other metals (usually copper). Standard for UK jewellery, flatware, and tableware. Also marked Sterling, STG, or lion passant.
Britannia standard
95.8% pure silver (UK Britannia fineness). Often marked with the Britannia figure and/or 958. Slightly more fine silver per gram than 925.
Continental silver
80% pure silver. Common on European tableware and older German/Italian pieces. Lower value per gram than 925/958.
Fine silver
99.9% pure silver. Too soft for most jewellery; used in bullion and some specialist pieces.
Fineness is one mark; full hallmark rows are another
This page decodes what 925, 958, 800, EPNS mean. Reading a complete British hallmark row—assay office, sponsor’s mark, optional date letter, optional traditional symbols—and dating an item is covered in depth on our Ultimate guide to identifying silver hallmarks. That keeps this URL a fineness reference, not a second hallmarks course.
Assay offices & date letters
London, Birmingham, Sheffield, and Edinburgh are the current UK offices; historic towns (Chester, Glasgow, etc.) have their own mark histories. For per-office date-letter tables, use Silver Makers’ Marks or follow the walkthrough in our hallmarks blog.
Since 1 January 1999, compulsory UK marks are broadly: assay office, numerical fineness (e.g. 925), and sponsor’s mark. The lion passant and date letter are optional on many newer pieces—you may still see them on older or traditional silver.
Fineness Marks at a Glance
Click a mark to see a short description. These are the marks we see most often when valuing silver.
Every Silver Number Stamp: The Complete Chart
Fineness is measured in parts per thousand. Find your number below. If your stamp isn’t here, check the “stamps that aren’t purity marks” table underneath — several common stamps fool people.
| Stamp | Purity | Where you’ll see it |
|---|---|---|
| 999 / 9999 | 99.9%+ — fine silver | Bullion bars and coins; too soft for most jewellery and tableware. |
| 958 | 95.8% — Britannia standard | British silver; often with the seated Britannia figure. Compulsory 1697–1720. |
| 950 | 95% — French first standard | Fine French silver (often the Minerva head). Higher purity than sterling — quality French pieces are worth a specialist look, not the scrap bin. |
| 935 | 93.5% | Some Austro-Hungarian and German pieces; also modern Argentium alloys. |
| 925 | 92.5% — sterling | The UK and international standard. Also “Sterling”, “STG”, or the lion passant. |
| 900 | 90% — “coin silver” | American 19th-century coin silver, French second standard, and much continental and South American silver. |
| 875 / “84” | 87.5% | Russian silver — the old “84 zolotnik” mark equals 875/1000. Russian pieces with clear maker’s marks can carry strong collector value. |
| 850 | 85% | Some continental and older Swiss silver. |
| 835 | 83.5% | German and Dutch silver, common on 20th-century tableware. |
| 830 | 83% | Scandinavian silver (Denmark, Norway, Finland) — often “830S”. |
| 813 | 81.3% — “13 lot” | Older German/Austrian silver under the lot system (13 löthig). |
| 800 | 80% | The most common continental standard — German (crescent moon & crown), Italian and Egyptian silver. |
| 750 | 75% — “12 lot” | Old German lot-system silver. (On gold, 750 means 18ct — a different metal entirely.) |
Older systems convert like this: German lot marks — 12 lot = 750, 13 lot = 813, 14 lot = 875, 15 lot = 938. Russian zolotnik — 84 = 875, 88 = 916, 91 = 947.
Ready to turn numbers into money? See what scrap silver is worth per gram or get a free silver valuation.
Stamps That Look Like Purity Marks — But Aren’t
These catch people out constantly. None of them mean solid silver:
| Stamp | What it actually means |
|---|---|
| 90, 100 or 150 on continental cutlery | Not fineness. On German hotel-grade flatware these numbers record the weight of silver plating per dozen pieces (e.g. “90” = 90 grams). It’s electroplate — the classic trap. If your fork says 90, it is not 90% silver. |
| A1 / AA / A | A plating quality grade on electroplated pieces. “A1” means best-grade plate — still plate. |
| EPNS / EPBM / EP | Electroplated nickel silver / Britannia metal — thin silver layer over base metal. |
| Nickel silver / German silver / Alpacca / NS / G | A copper-nickel-zinc alloy containing no silver at all, named for its colour only. |
| Sheffield Plate | Silver fused over copper (pre-1850s technique). Not solid — but genuine Old Sheffield Plate is collectable in its own right. |
| Four-digit numbers (e.g. 1847, 3021) | Usually pattern or model numbers — “1847 Rogers Bros” is a plate brand, not a year of sterling. |
Not sure which you have? Wear points tell the truth — plate shows yellow or grey base metal where it rubs. Or send us a photo: free identification.
Silver Plated vs Solid Silver Marks
Plated items have a thin layer of silver over a base metal and are not solid silver. They have much lower scrap value. Look for these marks:
Electroplated Nickel Silver
Electroplated Britannia Metal
Quality grade (plated)
Thin silver coating
At wear points, plated items often show base metal (yellow or grey). Solid 925 or 958 stays the same colour throughout. See how to tell if silver is real.
925 vs 958 vs 800: Comparison
| Mark | Purity | Other names | Typical use | Scrap pricing note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 925 | 92.5% | Sterling | Jewellery, flatware, tableware | Baseline fineness; published £/g on scrap silver |
| 958 | 95.8% | Britannia standard | Higher-grade English pieces | More fine metal per gram—quoted after assay |
| 800 | 80% | Continental | European tableware | Lower fine content than 925/958 |
Indicative only. Sterling scrap tables and context sit on what scrap silver is worth; Britannia and other grades are confirmed in testing. Antique or collectable value can sit above scrap.
Get a Free Silver Valuation
Send photos of your hallmarks and items for a no-obligation offer. We value 925, 958 Britannia, 800, and antique silver.
Frequently Asked Questions
925 means sterling silver: 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals (usually copper). It’s the standard for UK jewellery, cutlery, and tableware.
UK Britannia standard is 958 parts per thousand (95.8% silver)—solid silver with higher fineness than sterling (925). You may see the Britannia figure and/or the number 958 in the hallmark row.
Yes. 800 silver is 80% pure and has scrap value; it’s worth less per gram than 925 or 958. Heavier items can still be valuable.
Sterling is marked 925, Sterling, or lion passant. Plated is marked EPNS, EPBM, A1, or “Silver Plated”. At wear points, plated shows base metal.
EPNS = Electroplated Nickel Silver. A thin silver layer over base metal. Not solid silver; minimal scrap value.
Identify the assay office (e.g. London leopard’s head, Birmingham anchor), then find the date letter on the item. Use a date letter table for that office (e.g. silvermakersmarks.co.uk) to find the year. For a full walkthrough, see our Ultimate guide to identifying silver hallmarks. Date letters have been optional since 1999.
French first-standard silver, 95% pure — higher than sterling. Often accompanied by the Minerva head mark. Good French 950 pieces (Odiot, Puiforcat, Christofle solid ranges) can be worth well above metal value.
90% pure — “coin silver”. Common on 19th-century American and continental pieces. Solid silver, slightly below sterling.
Yes — 85% pure, seen on some continental and Swiss pieces. Worth less per gram than 925 but still solid.
A plating grade, not a purity. A1 items are electroplated — best-quality plate, but not solid silver.
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