What does 'EPNS' mean on my silver pieces?

Questions arrive frequently regarding the identification of the marks found on the bottom or back of silver flatware and hollowware pieces. The questioner usually is trying to determine one or more of these pieces of information:

• Manufacturer
• Pattern
• Silver content
• Value

Very often, the marks will include one of these designations:

• EPNS
• EP
• EP over copper
• EPBM
• EPCA
• EPGS
• EPWM

In these examples, the key letters are “EP”. They represent “electroplated” or “electroplating”. The other letters often represent some other metal. For example the most common designation, EPNS, means “electroplated nickel silver”.

All these designations indicate that the piece in question is made of silver plate.
Electroplating involves placing an extremely thin layer of silver on the surface of the piece. The resulting silver content is very small. The remainder of the piece is made of some more common metal such as copper.

The value of such pieces most often is not based on silver content. It’s based more on the design and construction of the piece.

These articles will provide further information regarding silver plate, value or identification:

• Sterling vs silver plate
• Price of silver plate tea sets
• What’s my silver plate flatware worth?
• Rogers in the silver industry
• Where can I find identification of sterling silver makers’ marks and hallmarks?