j/k...sorta...
I have several lbs of real old german silverware..."
Unclear: "German-Silver" was a Depression-era term for nickel. (Similar to today's ubiquitous "stainless steel" silverware.)
While *German Silver* is nickle, there are also Sterling Silver flatware sets from Germany, circa 1890s,that weigh about 16 lbs/service for 12. You could use the forks for garden tools.
The ST or 925 marks will be on anything that is sterling.
Everyone should be careful, though. We went through the biggest melt to that date of historically valuable silverware in the 80s. It is happening again and when it is over and done with, the art and antique pieces will be worth even more. Some 3-piece chocolate and coffee sets have doubled in value in the past 30 years and that was before the extreme silver rise. Search the maker marks.
Ask why, if silver is so valuable, are people selling 90% silver coins for so-called worthless fiat paper? $5 worth of mercury dimes for $140? Does everyone trust that silver will remain high while the dollar will be allowed to crash to nothing?
Also, check around for the premiums being charged on silver ingots and coins. They can vary from $1/oz up to $10/oz. Fine silver in manufactured form for jewelry-making can be as much as a 65% premium, because of the labor and electricity needed to fabricate the sheet or wire.
IMO, this is an unstable market. I have no idea what is going to happen to assets, but this is a panic and people should be cautious.