Tiffany & Co. Marks: How to Identify and Date Them
Quick answer
Tiffany & Co. (sterling silver, United States): what the mark looks like, 1 period variations, how to date a piece and what fakes look like, quoted from museum, company and assay-office sources.
Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: The Met, press.tiffany.com
Have one? Scan it to see what it's worth.
Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Category: Sterling silver
- Country: United States
- Active years: 1837-present
- What the mark looks like: Hollowware is typically stamped with the company name TIFFANY & CO., the word MAKERS with an internal factory/order number, and STERLING SILVER (with the fineness figure 925-1000 added in later production).
What the Tiffany & Co. mark looks like
Hollowware is typically stamped with the company name TIFFANY & CO., the word MAKERS with an internal factory/order number, and STERLING SILVER (with the fineness figure 925-1000 added in later production).
How the mark changed over time
- From 1851 (Moore workshop era): Tiffany did not yet operate its own silver factory; its hollowware was made under an agreement with outside New York silversmith John C. Moore, and later by his son Edward C. Moore, whose taste shaped the firm's silver style.
Notes on this entry
Tiffany's official history page (press.tiffany.com) confirms the company adopted the British fineness standard early on, stating '925 parts per 1,000 parts silver'. The same page also mentions that after the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston acquired a Tiffany mixed-metal water pitcher, the company's first work to enter a museum's permanent collection. The commonly cited 'directorship letters' dating method (based on the initial of the company president's surname) could not be verbatim-verified from any museum or official company website this time, so it is left blank.
How to photograph the mark
Turn the piece over and light the mark from a low angle with a lamp or phone torch, which throws the impressed or engraved lines into relief; a printed or painted mark wants soft, even light instead. Fill the frame with the mark, then take a second shot of the whole piece. Do not clean tarnish off silver before photographing; the mark reads better dark. The app matches the mark and shape to the notes above.
FAQ
What does the Tiffany & Co. mark look like?
Hollowware is typically stamped with the company name TIFFANY & CO., the word MAKERS with an internal factory/order number, and STERLING SILVER (with the fineness figure 925-1000 added in later production).
How do I date a Tiffany & Co. piece?
From 1851 (Moore workshop era): Tiffany did not yet operate its own silver factory; its hollowware was made under an agreement with outside New York silversmith John C. Moore, and later by his son Edward C. Moore, whose taste shaped the firm's silver style.
Does a mark prove the piece is genuine?
No. A mark is one piece of evidence; shape, weight, decoration, wear and construction have to agree with it. Marks are copied, and marked pieces are sometimes married to unmarked ones.
More in Pottery Marks and Silver Hallmarks
Related
See what your antiques are really worth.
Start with a single scan.
Have one? Scan it to see what it's worth.
Sources
- The Metwww.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/21791
- press.tiffany.compress.tiffany.com/our-story/a-legacy-of-sterling-silver/
Compiled by the AntiqLens editorial team
Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.