How can you tell if that treasured piece of porcelain on the mantelpiece is actually worth something or whether the set of spoons you've seen at auction actually is 18th-century silver? This book gives answers to these and many other questions about the world of antique-collecting. It includes information on British pewter, silver and gold hallmarks and British, European and Oriental ceramic marks as well as hints on how to read and interpret metal and ceramic marks. The book also gives details of manufacturers, operating dates and rarity dates.