Sometimes you will see a patent date on silver pieces (sterling or silver plate). This often is an indicator of the age of the piece.
Most silver manufacturers seek "design patents" for new patterns they create. Such a patent is valid for 14 years from the date the patent was issued. Manufacturers often placed the patent date at least on pieces manufactured during the period the patent was in effect. Therefore, one can estimate the date of manufacture to roughly within 14 years.
It's important to note that there are no guarantees here. The manufacturer might have continued to place the patent date on pieces even after the patent had expired. And, there have been cases where manufacturers placed the patent date on pieces many years after the patent had expired. This has been the case, for example, when a pattern has been revived for some reason after having been discontinued. Or perhaps, a manufacturer created pieces to celebrate a special occasion such as the 100th anniversary of a pattern.
So, patent date on a piece is a good indicator but is not absolute.
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