Produced by Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net CHATS ON OLD SILVER BOOKS FOR COLLECTORS _With Frontispieces and many Illustrations._ CHATS ON ENGLISH CHINA. By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON OLD FURNITURE. By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON OLD PRINTS. (How to collect and value Old Engravings.) By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON COSTUME. By G. WOOLLISCROFT RHEAD. CHATS ON OLD LACE AND NEEDLEWORK. By E. L. LOWES. CHATS ON ORIENTAL CHINA. By J. F. BLACKER. CHATS ON OLD MINIATURES. By J. J. FOSTER, F.S.A. CHATS ON ENGLISH EARTHENWARE. (Companion volume to “Chats on English China.”) By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON AUTOGRAPHS. By A. M. BROADLEY. CHATS ON PEWTER. By H. J. L. J. MASSÉ M.A. CHATS ON POSTAGE STAMPS. By FRED. J. MELVILLE. CHATS ON OLD JEWELLERY AND TRINKETS. By MACIVER PERCIVAL. CHATS ON COTTAGE AND FARMHOUSE FURNITURE. (Companion volume to “Chats on Old Furniture.”) By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON OLD COINS. By FRED. W. BURGESS. CHATS ON OLD COPPER AND BRASS. By FRED. W. BURGESS. CHATS ON HOUSEHOLD CURIOS. By FRED. W. BURGESS. CHATS ON OLD SILVER. By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON JAPANESE PRINTS. By ARTHUR DAVISON FICKE. CHATS ON MILITARY CURIOS. By STANLEY C. JOHNSON. CHATS ON OLD CLOCKS AND WATCHES. By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON ROYAL COPENHAGEN PORCELAIN. By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON OLD SHEFFIELD PLATE. (Companion volume to “Chats on Old Silver.”) By ARTHUR HAYDEN. CHATS ON OLD ENGLISH DRAWINGS. By RANDALL DAVIES. CHATS ON WEDGWOOD WARE. By HARRY BARNARD. BYE PATHS OF CURIO COLLECTING. By ARTHUR HAYDEN. With Frontispiece and 72 Full page Illustrations. * * * * * LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN, LTD. NEW YORK: F. A. STOKES COMPANY. * * * * * [Illustration: COFFEE-POT. GEORGE II PERIOD, 1741. Maker, Peter Archambo. _Frontispiece._] CHATS ON OLD SILVER BY ARTHUR HAYDEN AUTHOR OF “CHATS ON COTTAGE AND FARMHOUSE FURNITURE,” ETC. WITH FRONTISPIECE AND NINETY-NINE FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS TOGETHER WITH ILLUSTRATED TABLES OF MARKS T. FISHER UNWIN LTD LONDON: ADELPHI TERRACE _First published 1915_ _Second Impression 1917_ _Third Impression 1919_ _Fourth Impression 1922_ _Fifth Impression 1925_ (_All rights reserved_) TO ALFRED DAVIES, IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR FRIENDSHIP PREFACE The study of old silver usually begins when the inquiring possessor of family plate sets himself the task of ascertaining the date and the probable value of some piece long in his family and possibly lately bequeathed to him.