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PCGS Price Guide (for coins & current gold, silver & platinum prices)
Jewelry Markings
Gold
K = Karat
KP = Karat Plumb (exact amount of gold)
K.P. = Karat Plate
GF = Gold Filled (heavy plating), usually has a fraction,
i.e., 1/20 10K GF
GS = Gold Shell
HGE = Heavy Gold
Electroplate
Decimal equivalents of karat ratings:
.375 = 9K (England and
Canada)
.417 = 10K
.500 = 12K
.583 (.585) = 14K
.667 = 16K
.750
= 18K
.833 = 20K (Asia)
.917 = 22K (Asia)
.999 (1000) = 24K pure gold
Silver
925 (.925) = Sterling
835 (.835) = a lower quality of British
Sterling Silver
Sterling
Taxco
MEXICO
STER
.999
Fine = Pue Silver
Platinum
Pt (atomic symbol)
Irid. Plat.
Pt 900
Pt 950
PLAT
General Guide to quick test patent dates
First patent date of each year:
1836..............1
1837............110
1838............546
1839..........1,106
1840..........1,465 1880.........223,211 1920........1,326,899
1841..........1,923 1881.........236,137 1921........1,364,063
1842..........2,413 1882.........251,685 1922........1,401,948
1843..........2,901 1883.........269,820 1923........1,440,362
1844..........3,395 1884.........291,016 1924........1,478,996
1845..........3,873 1885.........310,163 1925........1,521,590
1846..........4,348 1886.........333,494 1926........1,468,040
1847..........4,914 1887.........355,291 1927........1,612,700
1848..........5,409 1888.........375,720 1928........1,654,521
1849..........5,993 1889.........395,305 1929........1,696,897
1850..........6,981 1890.........418,665 1930........1,742,181
1851..........7,865 1891.........443,987 1931........l,787,424
1852..........8,622 1892.........466,315 1932........1,839,190
1853..........9,512 1893.........488,976 1933........1,892,663
1854.........10,358 1894.........511,744 1934........1,941,449
1855.........12,117 1895.........531,619 1935........1,985,878
1856.........14,009 1896.........552,502 1936........2,026,516
1857.........16,324 1897.........574,369 1937........2,066,309
1858.........19,010 1898.........596,467 1938........2,104,004
1859.........22,477 1899.........616,871 1939........2,142,080
1860.........26,642 1900.........640,167 1940........2,185,170
1861.........31,005 1901.........664,827 1941........2,227,418
1862.........34,045 1902.........690,385 1942........2,268,540
1863.........37,266 1903.........717,521 1943........2,307,007
1864.........41,047 1904.........748,567 1944........2,338,081
1865.........45,685 1905.........778,834 1945........2,366,154
1866.........51,784 1906.........808,618 1946........2,391,856
1867.........60,658 1907.........839,799 1947........2,413,675
1868.........72,959 1908.........875,679 1948........2,433,824
1869.........85,503 1909.........908,436 1949........2,457,797
1870.........98,460 1910.........945,010 1950........2,492,944
1871........110,617 1911.........980,178 1951........2,536,016
1872........122,304 1912.......1,013,095 1952........2,580,379
1873........134,504 1913.......1,049,326 1953........2,624,046
1874........146,120 1914.......1,083,267 1954........2,664,562
1875........158,350 1915.......1,123,212 1955........2,698,434
1876........171,641 1916.......1,166,419 1956........2,728,913
1877........185,813 1917.......1,210,389 1957........2,775,762
1878........198,733 1918.......1,251,458 1958........2,818,567
1879........211,078 1919.......1,290,027 1959........2,866,973
1970........3,487,470
1971........3,551,909
1972........3,631,539
1973........3,707,729
1974........3,781,914
1975........3,858,241
1976........3,930,271
1977........4,000,520
1978........4,065,812
1979........4,131,952
1980........4,180,867
1981........4,242,757
1982........4,308,622
1983........4,366,579
1984........4,423,523
1985........4,490,855
1986........4,562,596
1987........4,633,526
1988........4,716,594
1989........4,794.652
1990........4,890,335
1991........4,980,927
1992........5,077,836
1993........5,175,886
1994........5,274,846
1995........5,377,359
1996........5,479,658
1997........5,589,860
1998........5,704,062
This section is to provide information about United States patents that would be useful
to people interested in antiques. It is not the purpose of this document to provide information about how to obtain a patent.
If you want general information about obtaining a patent, check out the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office home page at: http://www.uspto.gov/index.html, or call the Patent and Trademark general information line at (800) 786-9199.
BACKGROUND: Patents have been granted in some European countries (principally England
and Italy) since about the 1600s. The United States began granting patents in 1790. It is unlikely that you will find a reference
to patent protection on anything made in the 1700's or earlier. PATENT NUMBERS: As mentioned above, the United States started
granting patents in 1790. However, no one saw fit to number the patents until 1836. Thus, there are 46 years of patents that
fall outside the regular numbering system. This also means that patent number 1 was NOT the first U.S. patent. The vast majority
of patents antique buffs are likely to encounter are in the regular numbering system that began in 1836. If there are no special
letters before the number (or if the letters are only "US"), you have a normal "utility" patent and can order the patent by
that number alone. If by chance your patent was granted before 1836 July 04, you will not likely be able to identify a patent
number. If you do, it will be an "X-" number (e.g., X-4,963). However, copies of these patents can be ordered by citing the
inventor's name and the patent date (year, month, and day), without the need for the number. Design patents (patents granted
for the appearance of an object, rather than its function) are in a separate numbered series and begin with the letter "D"
(e.g., D 142,030). Design patents may sound similar to copyright registrations, but they are quite distinct (that is a story
for another time and place). Plant patents (not likely to be found by an antique buff) are also in a separate numbered series
and begin with "P.P." (e.g., P.P. 392). An inventor's improvement to his own invention was, for a short time from 1838 to
1861, given a separate numbered series beginning with "A.I." (e.g., A.I. 278). If you happen to come across one of these numbers,
you may also want to look up the original patent on which the improvement is based. Reissue patents (granted to correct defects
in an original patent) are in a separate series beginning with "Re" (e.g., Re 1,611). Unlike some other countries, the U.S.
gives patent numbers only for granted patents (applications have a different numbering system which becomes largely irrelevant
once the patent is granted). Thus, when you see a U.S. patent number, it is for a granted patent.
GETTING COPIES OF PATENTS: If your antique has a patent number on it, you are in luck!
The U.S. Patent Office has many patents available on line which you may retrieve directly from their site, you will find their
site listed on our links page.You can order a copy of the patent from the patent office by sending the patent number(s) and
a check (payable to the Assistant Commissioner for Patents) for $3.00 per patent (December 1995 price, no postage or handling
charge) to:
Box 9
Assistant Commissioner for Patents
Washington, DC 20231
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