To identify antique English silver flatware it is important to know that the vast majority of pieces were made in just a few classic patterns, and a few variants of those patterns. In the 18th and early 19th centuries there were four basic shapes (or outlines): Hanoverian (or Rat-Tail), Old English, Fiddle and Hourglass. Each outline has several variations that make up virtually all 18th and early to mid 19th century British flatware patterns. These patterns were designed by English silversmiths who often copied similar patterns from France. Unlike North American flatware, there were no copyrights to these designs, so the same few patterns were made by virtually every silversmith.

The earliest 18th century patterns were Trefid (common from 1660-1710), Dognose (1700-1715), and Hanoverian (also know as Rat-tail) (1715-1770). All three of these patterns were reprized in the early 20th century. Old English pattern was most popular from 1760-1800, then Fiddle pattern and its variants were dominant until about 1825 when Hourglass and its variants took over and were the most common patterns until the mid 19th century. In the second half of the 19th century there was a proliferation of new patterns and unlike previous eras, no single pattern or outline was dominant. Note that the dates given are for the original design periods for the respective patterns, but all of the patterns can also be found at later dates and often throughout the 20th century as well.