Cambridge Silver Mark

Q: I have a serving fork I believe is German silver. The back has three marks on it, a letter "C" in a diamond, an "S" in a shield, and an "F" or "P" in a square. Can you tell me who made it?

 

A: This mark was used on Cambridge Silver Plate, a trade name used by Sears, Roebuck. It’s one of several trade names used on silverware specially manufactured for Sears. Several different Cambridge patterns have been made for Sears since about 1900, and Sears still sells Cambridge silver. Your fork is not German silver; it's plated silver. Silver plate is made by coating a base metal, like nickel or copper, with a thin coating of silver. German silver is an alloy usually made of copper, nickel, and zinc. The process was developed in Germany in the 19th century. A 20-piece set of Cambridge pattern silverware sells today for about $25.