800
Continental silver · 80% pure
800 means 80% pure silver — the classic “continental” standard of much of Europe, struck simply as “800”. With a fifth of its weight in copper it's harder and a touch greyer than sterling (925), and you'll meet it most often on older German, Italian and Austrian silver: cutlery, holloware and antique jewellery.
Hallmark Translator
Translate a purity you know into how any country marks it — gold, silver, platinum, palladium — or compare two countries side by side.
Why 80%?
Where Britain settled on sterling (925), much of mainland Europe set its minimum solid-silver standard at 800 — so for a long time “800 silver” was simply what solid silver meant across Germany, Italy and Austria.
The extra copper makes it harder-wearing (good for cutlery and serving pieces) but slightly less bright and a touch more tarnish-prone than sterling. It is still solid, real silver — not plate.
Alloy 80% silver · 20% copper
And the standards around it
- 800Continental
- 80% — the classic European standard; harder, slightly greyer than sterling.
How 8 countries strike 800
The number means the same metal everywhere — but every country marks it differently. Some strike a national emblem beside it; others, like the United States, mark it in type alone. Tap a country for its full system.
Independent assay
Mandatory maker's mark
What people actually ask
Is 800 real silver?
Yes — 80% pure silver, the rest copper. It's solid silver, not plated, just a lower standard than sterling.
Is 800 or 925 silver better?
925 (sterling) is purer and brighter; 800 is harder and more tarnish-prone. 800 is the older continental standard, 925 the global jewellery standard.
Why does my European silver say 800?
Because 800 was the common minimum standard across much of mainland Europe — you'll see it especially on German, Italian and Austrian pieces.
What is 800 silver worth?
80% of its weight is silver, so its melt value tracks four-fifths of the silver price by weight.
A reference guide, not an authentication service. The same number can appear on different metals, and the mark beside it varies by country, date and maker — consult the relevant assay office or standards body for definitive identification.