When the number “835” is stamped on silver, it means that it was made in Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, or Portugal. The mark shows how pure the silver is.
Usually, 0.925 is the standard for how pure sterling silver is, but in the late 1800s and early 1900s, some countries had different standards. Due to an assay tax that had to be paid, silver from some countries was stamped with a number less than 0.925. Even though the marks were different, the silver in these cases was still 0.925 pure.
