antique george iii old sheffield silver plated tray c 1830

This isa lovely antique English Old Sheffield Silver Plate tray C 1830 in date.

This rectangularOld Shefield tray features a deep set, decorative border with elegant handles to each end, superb foliate and floral chased and engraved decoration anda central crestThe quality and craftsmanship throughout the piece are truly second to none.Condition:In excellent condition with no dings, dents or signs of repair. Please see photos for confirmation.Dimensions in cm:Height 3.5 x Width 68 x Depth 45Dimensions in inches:Height 1 inch x Width 2 foot, 3 inches x Depth 1 foot, 6 inches
Our reference: A1529
Old Sheffield Plate -or ‘fused plate' as it is sometimes known, was the first commercially viable method of plating metal. The material was accidentally invented byThomasBoulsover, ofSheffield'sCutlersCompany, in 1743. While trying to repair the handle of a customer's decorative knife, he heated it too much and the silver started tomelt. When he examined the damaged handle, he noticed that the silver and copper had fused together very strongly. Experiments showed that the two metals behaved as one when he tried to reshape them, even though he could clearly see two different layers.Boulsoverset up in business, funded byStrelleyPeggeofBeauchief, and carried out further experiments in which he put a thin sheet of silver on a thick ingot of copper and heated the two together to fuse them. When the composite block was hammered or rolled to make it thinner, the two metals were reduced in thickness at similar rates. Using this method,Boulsoverwas able to make sheets of metal which had a thin layer of silver on the top surface and a thick layer of copper underneath. When this new material was used to make buttons, they looked and behaved like silver buttons but were a fraction of the cost.The technique Boulsover developed was to sandwich an ingot of copper between two plates of silver, tightly bind it with wire, heat it in a furnace and then mill it out in to sheet, from which objects could be made.

Width (cm):

68

Height (cm):

3.5

Depth (cm):

45

Please note that this price may NOT include delivery charges which the seller may charge extra for.

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Regent Antiques Limited

We are one of the UK's premier furniture dealers and have been trading in London for three decades. We specialise in English and Continental furniture, silver, porcelain, and decorative items both antique and contemporary. We exhibit our collection in classy showrooms in our large warehouse very close to the centre of London.

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