Is It A Find

Hello Dan, Here is another silver piece for you to look at. I found this at a yard sale two summers ago for $2. It was so dark I couldn't distinguish anything at first, but thought it looked like silver and liked the dimpled appearance around the rim. After cleaning it, I noticed the bottom was engraved with a symbol followed by "Sterling 696 B-2," and "Hand Hammered." It's 6 1/16" in diameter. I've tried searching the internet with different variations of this information to no avail. There is an extensive library of symbol marks on the internet, but I couldn't match this up with anything. Could you help with the manufacturer, date and value of this plate? Thank you, Greg W. Greetings Greg, What a great find. Your sterling bread plate was made in the early 1900s. Researching your piece was quite puzzling as the maker's mark did not exactly match up to any recorded findings. After much exploration, I was able to determine the manufacturer's mark is from the Meriden Silver company founded in 1852 in Meriden, Connecticut. They mainly manufactured silver plated figural goods and at their peak their production floor encompassed over eight acres. In 1898, they were acquired by the International Silver Company. International ended up using the Meriden hallmark on their goods for many years after the acquisition. Your plate was likely manufactured after International's takeover, thus explaining the uneven stamping of the maker's mark, which initially made it difficult to identify. It is also marked, "Hand Hammered," meaning it was made or fashioned by hand, which artistically adds to its value. In a retail setting, it would be safe to say your $2 find could easily be worth upwards of $250. Thank you for taking the time to write in and congratulations on your find.