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The following copyrighted silver care information has been provided by Jeffrey Herman, Herman Silver
Restoration & Conservation. None of the below guide can be reproduced without written permission from
Jeffrey Herman, PO Box 72839, Providence,
RI 02970, 401/461-6840, jeffherman@silversmithing.com
Sterling silver
Sterling Silver is at least 92.5% silver and up to 7.5% other metals, usually copper, and is stamped with either the word
"Sterling" or ".925" or the Lion Passant mark. Fine silver (99.99% pure) is generally too soft for producing large functional objects.
The term "Sterling Silver", in reference to the .925 grade of silver, emerged in England by the 13th century.
The terms "sterling" and "pound sterling", seem to have acquired their meaning over a period of time,
and from several convergent sources. The first mention is that of "sterilensis" in 1078, and by the thirteenth century
(by the 1200's) the term sterling had appeared.
"Easterling" Theory
It seems quite possible that Sterling Silver may have been known first as "Easterling Silver".
The term "Easterling Silver" was used to refer to the grade of silver that had originally been used as the
local currency in an area of Germany, known as "The Easterling".
This "Easterling" consisted of five towns in the eastern part of Germany which banded together in
the 12th century under the name of the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League proceeded to engage
in considerable commerce with England. In payment for English cattle and grain, the League used their local currency.
This currency was in the form of 92.5% silver coins. England soon learned that these coins, which they referred to as
"the coins of the Easterlings", were of a reliably high quality and hardness.
King Henry II set about to adopt the alloy as the standard for English currency. He imported metal refiners from the
Easterling and put them to work making silver coins for England. The silver these refiners produced came into usage as
currency by 1158 in the form of what are now known as "Tealby Pennies", and was eventually adopted as a standard
alloy throughout England. The original term of "Easterling Silver" was later abbreviated to "Sterling Silver".
Though the coin weights and silver purity changed considerably in the intervening time (reaching a low point before the
reign of Elizabeth I, who reinstated Sterling Silver coinage for the first time since the early 14th century), the pound
sterling was used as currency in England from the 12th century until the middle of the 20th century. Specifically this was
in the silver coins of the British Empire -- Britain, British colonies and some former British colonies. This sterling
coin silver is not to be confused with the Coin silver standard.
Sterling silver, while no longer used in circulating currency anywhere in the world, is still used for flatware, jewellery
and plate, and is a grade of silver respected for both relatively high purity and sufficient hardness to form durable objects in daily use.
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