Q:Can you tell me if Black, Starr & Frost ever made silver-plated items? I am trying to identify a six-sided two-handled tray marked "7033."

A:The mark "7033" is not much of a clue to the tray's maker. But it wasn't Black, Starr & Frost. Black, Starr & Frost has never manufactured silver or silver-plate. It has only been a retailer, and probably exclusively of sterling silver. The company name, not the maker's name, was often put on items ordered by a store.