Q: I recently was given an antique chocolate pot and I am curious about its origins and value. I have received conflicting stories from different family members, but it is possible that it was purchased in London in the 1940s. I have attached some photos. The pot is approximately 9 inches tall. I am not sure whether polishing the chocolate pot will diminish its value, so I have not. Thank you very much for your time. — M.M., internet A: Your chocolate pot was made in England likely in the late 18th century. The British have used a hallmarking system of impressing a number of symbols on articles made of gold and silver since the 1300s. A precious metal mark to indicate gold or silver, a town mark, date letter, and a duty mark indicating tax has been paid. Under normal circumstances the symbols, letters, etcetera should be easy to interpret; if not it generally means they are likely not genuine. Since you included a good photograph of the marks, I will assume there are no marks inside the lid. None of the four marks on the base indicate sterling silver, so the pot is silver plated. The rest of the marks are questionable. In this collecting category fake and spurious marks are common. That is the situation with your pot. As they say in the world of antiques, caveat emptor.