Bought this at local Carboot and wondering if it is what it says on the Tin !!!, or in this case Stainless Steel !!!. I believe it’s c1970s and German !!!, seems the guy Smelting is made of Silver and the Sparks are 18ct Gold all on a Heavy Stainless Steel Plate or plaque !!!. Would be grateful for any input and should I clean it ?.
If the silver was evenly tarnished I would say leave it, but as there seems to be an uneven finish I would be inclined to clean it. Let’s see what others suggest…
Phil
Gave it a warm soapy water wash as I do most of my finds, now I’m tempted to clean the silver with a Silver Polish cream
1970er Jahre, Edelstahl, Silber und Gold, gestempelt REMANIT 1880, Gold 750, Silber 925, WKS, flache Schale mit gewölbtem Rand, aufgelegt ein Stahlarbeiter aus martelliertem Silber beim Gießen, Aufschrift Krefeld, geringe Altersspuren, L 21 cm.
Nice result!
I’ve always been amused by the phrase “original patina.” Unless the maker applied an oxidized finish to a piece, there’s nothing “original” about years’ worth of tarnish.
My thoughts exactly Jeff, if it says Silver on the Tin then keep it shining . Have a great day
Then don’t engage in any way with the coin collectors! You are sent to Silver Hell if you even think about cleaning a coin, even if most of the ‘tarnish’ is decades’ worth of strangers dirt!
Hi Bronwen, I collect coins also, especially the ones I detect through metal Detecting. I’d rather see the silver gleaming as I believe they deserve too after 100s of years of being submerged in the dark and weather, doesn’t her majesty look more Regal Glowing !!, I’m ready to reincarnate Edward very soon . Have a beautiful day
When it comes to coins, I “get” that zealous polishing, or some sort of chemical dip, might remove irreplaceable details. But a nice warm soak in some water and washing-up liquid never hurt a piece of silver or copper.
Yes Jeff, I simple long soak in warm soapy water usually loosens the Crud coating on these medieval silvers and that’s sometimes suffice, but, I’ve heard of others with brass bristle brushes and even electrolysis fry their coins beyond recognition
Many of the photographs posted here and many items up for sale online have at least part of an item, usually the base, scratched beyond any aid with wire wool or something similar.
This is sad, but no doubt it is ignorance, not intentional.
And let’s face it, some of the ‘patina’ stuck in odd corners and beyond is more like baked enamel paint than anything associated with the idea of silver. And it ain’t pretty.
I recently condemned myself to Hell by lightly polishing Mrs Morgan, she of dollar fame. She does look pretty!