Reed & Barton silverware is among the most collected vintage flatware in America. Founded in 1824 in Taunton, Massachusetts, the company spent nearly two centuries crafting both sterling silver and silver-plated flatware, hollowware, and decorative pieces. Whether you inherited a set or found one at an estate sale, this guide covers how to identify your Reed & Barton pattern, understand the marks, and determine current value.
Reed & Barton Company History
The company began as Babbitt, Crossman & Company in 1824, producing pewterware in Taunton. By 1840 it had been renamed Reed & Barton after Henry Reed and Charles Barton, who purchased the business and pivoted toward silver-plated goods. The firm became one of the first American companies to mass-produce Britannia metal hollowware using steam-powered machinery.
By the late 1800s, Reed & Barton had expanded into sterling silver flatware, competing directly with Gorham and Tiffany. The company introduced its most famous pattern, Francis I, in 1907. For nearly 190 years, production remained in Taunton until the company was acquired by Lenox in the late 20th century and ultimately by Lifetime Brands in 2015.
How to Identify Reed & Barton Marks
The first step in identifying any Reed & Barton piece is reading the backstamp or hallmark. Sterling and silver-plated pieces carry different marks.
Sterling Silver Marks
Genuine sterling Reed & Barton pieces are marked with:
- STERLING — the word stamped on the back of each piece
- 925 — sometimes used instead of or alongside “STERLING,” indicating 92.5% pure silver content
- R & B or REED & BARTON — the maker’s mark, often in an oval or rectangular cartouche
- A lion passant on some earlier pieces (used in the English tradition to denote sterling quality)
Silver Plate Marks
Silver-plated Reed & Barton pieces are marked differently. Look for:
- R & B inside an oval — the standard Reed & Barton silverplate mark used from the mid-1800s onward
- A1 — indicates a heavy silver deposit (the highest quality plate grade)
- XII or X — older Roman numeral grading indicating the number of ounces of silver used to plate a gross of teaspoons
- TRIPLE or QUADRUPLE — indicates how many times the base metal was plated
- No “STERLING” marking anywhere — if a piece is sterling, it will always say so
If you see no silver-content mark and only “R & B” or “REED & BARTON,” you have a silver-plated piece. Sterling pieces always carry explicit sterling identification.
Major Reed & Barton Sterling Silver Patterns
Francis I (1907)
Francis I is Reed & Barton’s signature pattern and one of the most recognized sterling flatware designs in American silver history. The pattern features deeply embossed scrollwork surrounding central cartouches filled with fruit, flowers, and leaves — a Renaissance Revival design inspired by the court of French King Francis I. Each piece requires extensive hand-finishing, making Francis I among the most labor-intensive flatware patterns ever produced.
Francis I was produced continuously from 1907 through the company’s closure in Taunton, making it one of the longest-running sterling patterns on record. Current values: individual dinner forks typically fetch $60 to $100 each; serving pieces such as a large soup ladle can reach $300 to $600 depending on condition. Complete 12-place settings in original chests routinely sell for $3,000 to $8,000 at auction.
Love Disarmed (1899)
Introduced in 1899, Love Disarmed features a cherub (Cupid) figure on the handle with his bow laid aside — symbolizing love rendered harmless. It is a highly sculptural Art Nouveau pattern and among the most sought-after by collectors who focus on the turn-of-the-century period. Serving pieces in this pattern are especially valuable; large serving spoons can reach $200 to $400 each.
Marlborough (1906)
Marlborough is a classic, restrained pattern featuring an elegant engraved scrollwork border with minimal ornamentation at the handle tip. It appealed to buyers who wanted quality sterling without the elaborate relief work of Francis I. Marlborough pieces command moderate values: dinner forks typically $40 to $70 each, with complete sets ranging from $1,500 to $3,500.
Burgundy (1949)
Introduced after World War II, Burgundy reflects the mid-century preference for elegant simplicity. The pattern features a graceful curved handle with a narrow, elongated bead border. It became one of Reed & Barton’s best-selling post-war sterling lines. Dinner forks typically sell for $35 to $60 each; place settings of eight commonly sell for $800 to $2,000.
Grande Renaissance (1967)
Grande Renaissance is a bold pattern featuring deep, heavily chased scrollwork across the entire handle — more ornate than Marlborough but less sculptural than Francis I. It appeals to collectors who want substantial sterling with a formal aesthetic. Values are similar to Burgundy, with individual forks ranging from $45 to $80.
Major Reed & Barton Silver Plate Patterns
Reed & Barton silver plate was produced from the mid-1800s through the 20th century and represents the most commonly found pieces today. Silver plate does not contain the intrinsic metal value of sterling and is priced primarily by pattern desirability, condition of the silver layer, and set completeness.
Tara (1955)
Tara is one of Reed & Barton’s most popular silver-plated patterns, featuring a graceful scroll and shell motif along the handle. Complete 8-place Tara sets in good condition typically sell for $80 to $200. Pieces with worn silver plating (bare base metal showing through) sell for significantly less.
Reflection (1959)
A clean, mid-century modern design with a subtle concave handle, Reflection was marketed as everyday elegant silver plate. It remains common in estate sales. Value is modest — a complete service for eight typically sells for $60 to $150 as a set.
Victorian (1895)
An ornate late-Victorian pattern with floral and scroll embossing along the full length of the handle, Victorian-era Reed & Barton plate appeals to collectors of period pieces. Condition matters enormously — pieces with significant silver loss are nearly worthless, while sharp-plated examples in the original pattern detail can sell for $15 to $40 each.
Reed & Barton Silverware Values: What Determines Price
Four factors determine what Reed & Barton silverware is worth:
- Sterling vs. silver plate — Sterling commands 5x to 20x the price of equivalent silver-plated pieces, driven by the intrinsic silver content ($25 to $35 per troy ounce in the base metal alone for sterling flatware).
- Pattern — Francis I is worth significantly more than most other Reed & Barton patterns. Rare early patterns like Love Disarmed command premiums. Common mid-century silver plate patterns have minimal collector value.
- Condition of the silver layer — For plate, any visible bare base metal (usually copper or nickel silver showing through) dramatically reduces value. For sterling, surface scratches are cosmetically undesirable but do not affect melt value.
- Completeness and original storage — A 12-place setting in an original fitted chest commands a substantial premium over the same number of loose pieces. Rare serving pieces — fish slices, asparagus servers, berry spoons — add disproportionate value to a complete service.
Current Value Ranges by Category
| Item | Sterling (Francis I) | Sterling (common) | Silver Plate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner fork | $60 to $100 | $35 to $70 | $5 to $20 |
| Teaspoon | $35 to $60 | $20 to $45 | $3 to $10 |
| Tablespoon | $50 to $80 | $30 to $60 | $8 to $20 |
| Soup ladle (large) | $300 to $600 | $150 to $350 | $20 to $60 |
| Gravy ladle | $80 to $150 | $50 to $100 | $10 to $30 |
| 12-place complete set | $3,000 to $8,000 | $1,500 to $4,000 | $100 to $400 |
How to Identify Your Reed & Barton Pattern
If you have an unmarked pattern, use these steps:
- Check the back of each piece for an engraved or stamped pattern name. Reed & Barton stamped the pattern name on the back of many flatware pieces from the 1940s onward.
- Photograph the handle detail — the shape, motif, and border treatment — and compare against online pattern databases. Replacements.com and Replacers.com maintain searchable image databases of most Reed & Barton patterns.
- Note the handle shape: pistol-grip (curved back), French blade (flat, tapered), or architectural (squared, geometric). Handle shape narrows the era significantly.
- Check for monograms — engraved initials reduce value and complicate pattern identification, but the engraving location (handle tip vs. center) can point to the original pattern style.
- Look for pattern booklets — if the set came in an original flatware chest, a paper insert often identifies the pattern by name.
Reed & Barton Hollowware and Serving Pieces
Beyond flatware, Reed & Barton produced a wide range of hollowware: tea services, trays, candelabra, water pitchers, bread baskets, and compotes. The most collectible hollowware pieces are:
- Damascene silver pieces — a specialty technique producing decorative silver with inlaid gold and copper patterns, produced from the 1880s through the early 1900s. A complete Damascene tea service can sell for $2,000 to $8,000.
- Cherub and figural pieces — late Victorian butter dishes, card receivers, and sugar bowls with applied figural decoration are highly sought by collectors. Individual pieces range from $75 to $400.
- Art Nouveau tea services (c. 1895 to 1910) — featuring flowing floral and female figural handles. A complete four-piece set in sterling can bring $3,000 to $6,000 at auction.
Care and Storage
Both sterling and silver-plated Reed & Barton pieces require the same basic care:
- Polish only when tarnished — use a non-abrasive silver polish (Wright’s Silver Cream or Hagerty Silver Foam). Over-polishing gradually removes silver from both sterling and plate.
- Hand-wash only — dishwashers cause silver plate to pit and pit and peel; they also dull the finish on sterling over time. Use mild dish soap and warm water.
- Store in anti-tarnish cloth — Pacific Silvercloth rolls or flannel pouches absorb sulfur compounds that cause tarnish. Never store silver in rubber bands, which contain sulfur and will leave permanent black marks.
- Avoid salt and eggs — sulfur in eggs and chlorides in salt are highly corrosive to silver. Rinse serving pieces immediately after contact.
- Keep pieces separated — stacking loose silver scratches the surface. Use the original fitted chest or individual anti-tarnish sleeves.
Where to Buy and Sell Reed & Barton Silverware
The best venues for buying or selling Reed & Barton pieces:
- eBay — the largest marketplace for individual pieces and partial sets. Search by pattern name for the most accurate comps. Complete sets with original chests perform best here.
- Replacements.com — the definitive source for individual replacement pieces and pattern verification. Their buy prices are below market but their sell prices are reliable benchmarks.
- Estate auctions — complete sterling services frequently appear at regional estate auction houses. Prices are often 20 to 40% below retail.
- Antique malls and silver dealers — useful for hollowware and unusual serving pieces not easily found online.
- Scrap silver — sterling pieces in poor condition are worth their melt value (about 0.6 troy ounces of silver per dinner fork in Francis I weight). At current silver prices, this is a floor value worth knowing before accepting a low offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Reed & Barton silverware sterling or silver plate?
Reed & Barton made both. Sterling pieces are always marked “STERLING” or “925.” If a piece has only the “R & B” oval mark with no sterling designation, it is silver-plated. Check the back of the handle — the mark is always there.
What is Reed & Barton Francis I worth?
Francis I is the most valuable common Reed & Barton pattern. Individual dinner forks sell for $60 to $100; complete 12-place settings with serving pieces and original chest range from $3,000 to $8,000 depending on the number of pieces and condition. It is sterling silver, not plate.
How do I tell if Reed & Barton is real silver?
Look for the word “STERLING” stamped on the back of the handle. If it says STERLING (or 925), the piece contains 92.5% pure silver. If you only see “R & B,” “REED & BARTON,” or plate-grade marks like “A1” or “QUADRUPLE,” the piece is silver-plated base metal.
Is Reed & Barton silver plate worth anything?
Silver plate has minimal melt value (the silver layer is too thin to recover economically), so value is driven entirely by pattern demand and condition. Common mid-century plate patterns in good condition typically sell for $5 to $20 per piece. Complete sets in original chests with no silver loss may reach $100 to $300 as a unit. Victorian-era figural hollowware can be worth considerably more.
How do I find out what Reed & Barton pattern I have?
Check the back of the handle — many patterns from the 1940s onward have the pattern name stamped there. If not, photograph the handle and search Replacements.com’s visual pattern catalog or the Silverware Reference database. The overall handle shape, border treatment, and tip design narrow the identification to a short list quickly.
When did Reed & Barton go out of business?
Reed & Barton was acquired by Lifetime Brands in 2015, and manufacturing in Taunton, Massachusetts ceased. The brand name continued under Lifetime Brands for a period. The Taunton factory, which had operated continuously since 1824, closed permanently, ending nearly two centuries of American silversmithing at that location.
For our complete guide covering all major antique silverware makers, eras, and marks identification, see our Antique Silverware hub page.