1) Is Marks4Silver.com secure?
2) Does it work on a PC or Mac?
3) Is the GALLERY-of-MARKS Search easy to use?
4) What other ways can I use on this website to identify a mark?
5) What happens if the mark I am looking for is not included in the database?
6) Why is Marks4Silver.com website better than a Book?
7) I have found some websites on the internet that offer Silver, Precious Metals & Jewelry hallmarks and marks as a Free Service. Why should I pay?
8) Can I access this database when I am away from my home or office?
9) Can I use this website to distinguish between genuine pieces and forgeries?
10) Once I have identified & dated the mark(s) on my Silverware or Precious Metal items, what do I need to do?

1) Is Marks4Silver.com secure?

We are an Approved & Verified Business member of PayPal and 2CheckOut, both reputable Credit Card Banking companies, and accept all major Credit Cards. Also, our company is registered in the State of California, USA. All Payments and related Log-In procedures, including verifying any personal or account details, are made exclusively through PayPal's and 2CheckOut's payment systems only. Marks4Silver.com does not have access to that information other than being notified when a payment goes through to activate a member's User ID and Password to access this website in an automated "back-end" process. No personal and payment details are available to this website's staff and no such data crosses our website's Servers. For more information on PayPal's Secure Payments please visit PayPal's site at www.PayPal.com and for 2CheckOut visit www.2CheckOut.com..

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2) Does it work on a PC or Mac?

Marks4Silver.com works on any Computer or Laptop or other Portable Device regardless of Browser, Platform, Version etc. There is no need for any special requirements or additional Software to make it work.                                                                                                                                  
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3) Is the GALLERY-of-MARKS Search easy to use?

The Gallery-of-Marks is a large album of Silver, Precious Metal, Jewelry and other metal hallmarks and marks. All Marks are divided into Shape Categories according to a mark’s shape or form. Some marks appear in several Categories to make it as objective as possible. This is the easiest and quickest method to identify a Mark - simply compare your mark to others at a glance - see our "How it Works" page.

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4) What other ways can I use on this website to identify a mark?

In addition to our Gallery-of-Marks Search that locates a mark based on its overall shape, Marks4Silver.com also offers a huge Alphabetical List of additional Makers & Jewelers, including Trade Names used over the years.

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5) What happens if the mark I am looking for is not included in the database?

If your mark is not included in our database, there is a link for members to communicate with us directly. We will research your mark(s) and respond to your email within 3 business days and at no extra cost.                                                               

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6) Why is Marks4Silver.com website better than a Book?

Cost vs. Completeness: There are several generalist books on the market that contain most common Silver or Jewelry hallmarks and marks for under $30. However, most specialized Silver & Precious Metals Marks books are usually available for specific countries or a certain region and cost upwards of $70 each. This means that these books usually contain information limited to manufacturers from that specific Country or Region (Britain, USA, Mexico, Russia, Germany, Italy, France etc). In contrast, Marks4Silver.com contains more than 7,000 unique western-world marks from all regions at your fingertips - literally!!

Interactive experience: If your mark is not included in a book you have purchased, there is no recourse in contacting the Author or Publisher to ask questions or advice. As a member of Marks4Silver.com, in addition to several useful resources and links contained in the members-only area, if your mark is not included in our database, you can contact our Research Group and get a personalized response at no extra cost (see #5 above)

Always current: It took us several years to put this site together and we are constantly adding more marks, some of which are either newer ones or newly discovered rare marks that we find during our research.

                                          
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7) I have found some websites on the internet that offer Silver, Precious Metals & Jewelry hallmarks and marks as a Free Service. Why should I pay?

We have visited other related websites and soon realized that most of these are "come-on" pages to someone's Antique Shop or Gallery/Auction site. The marks they contain are usually very few and very common. As a member of our website, you only pay for your monthly or annual Subscription. We do not sell anything else and we do not offer any other services that require additional payments. Yet, once a member, you receive access to a vast database of over 7,000 unique Silver, Precious Metals & Jewelry hallmarks and marks, which is being continuously updated. Furthermore, there are links to several specialized Dating Systems and Historical Notes, a proprietary "Name Search" feature that lets you search for images of marks from a specific Maker or Jeweler in an instant and many other easy-to-use Metalware Research Tools.

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8) Can I access this database when I am away from my home or office?

Yes, this is one of the unique advantages of this service. Unlike books that you will have to carry with you, this site is available anywhere you can access the web and from any computer or laptop, including public PCs such as in Hotels, a friend's computer etc. For example, if you are traveling to an auction and need information on a special piece of Jewelry or Silverware item/set you saw during the Preview, you can Log In to Marks4Silver.com to identify it and then search the web for potential value information.

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9) Can I use this website to distinguish between genuine pieces and forgeries?

Since the early 1970's there has been a huge renewal of interest in Jewelry and Silver decorative items and there are thousands of pieces, made mostly from the Far East and Eastern Europe, that resemble some very old and antique pieces. However, these are fakes or forgeries. Knowing the exact mark used originally helps in avoiding costly mistakes. In addition to several of these newer marks that are already included and are available to members, we constantly evaluate new ones entering the market or examine those sent to us by other members. If we determine that a mark is indeed on a recent replica or on a reproduction piece, we immediately include it in our database. This way a member's experience becomes a lesson to another.

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10) Once I have identified & dated the mark(s) on my Silverware or Precious Metal item, what do I need to do?

In addition to links related to specialized Dating Systems used by some specific Companies and Locales (London, Scotland, Exeter, York, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield etc), you may use our Search Links for Google, Amazon or eBay or your favorite Search engine to locate additional information and potential Market Value. Our service is primarily an Identification and Period database.

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