Investing in Silver — Eric Delieb (Barrie & Rockliff / Clarkson N. Potter, 1967)

Despite the title, this is not a book about bullion. It is a classic guide to collecting antique British silver — hallmarks, maker’s marks, styles and periods, and how to tell what a piece is worth and why.

What sets Delieb apart is that he refuses to write a dry catalogue. He puts each object back into its historical setting and tells its story, favouring the small everyday pieces over grand ceremonial plate: what they were used for, how their shapes evolved, why a collector should care. Readers still single this out decades later as the book that made antique silver come alive.

Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photography by Peter Parkinson, plus colour plates. Includes bibliography and index.

A long-standing reference on the antique silver market, out of print and sought after by collectors and dealers.