True Sheffield Plate was produced by fusing, with intense heat, a thin sheet of silver to one or both sides of a thick sheet of copper. The composite metal was then rolled down to the proper thickness for fabrication. Invented by Thomas Boulsover about 1743, it was rampant by the 1760s throughout England and Europe. Most frequently called Old “Sheffield Plate” to distinguish it from electroplate.
Fusion of copper and silver sheet originally produced in the first half of the 18th Century.
A mechanical process of fusing a thin sheet of silver to a thicker core of copper by means of heating and rolling. This process was invented by Thomas Boulsover in Sheffield in the mid-eighteenth century and proved to be very popular. By 1765 the sandwiched metal was being used to make objects that imitated silver, yet were less expensive, even though the actual fabrication was much more difficult. Sheffield Plate was made until around 1860 although the technique had already begun to be replaced by electroplating in 1840.
Originally made by bonding sheet silver to copper, rolling and manufacturing the bonded metals into hollowware. Imitations are made by electroplating silver on copper and are sometimes erroneously advertised as Sheffield Plate.
The original substitute for Sterling Silver, now displaced by Silverplate. It was made by fusing sheet silver onto copper, rolling and manufacturing into hollowware. The discovery of the electrolytic process of depositing silver on the base metal made it possible to produce articles of similar quality to Sheffield at lower cost and so the Sheffield Plate process was virtually abandoned (circa 1840). Today, most fine pieces of "Old Sheffield" aren't available in the commercial market. Much electroplated ware is erroneously advertised or otherwise referred to as "Sheffield Plate". In the purchase of "Sheffield Plate", be sure of the reliability and integrity of your dealer.
Sheffield plate is a layered combination of silver and copper that was used for many years to produce a wide range of household articles. These included buttons, caddy spoons, serving utensils, candlesticks and other lighting devices, tea and coffee services, serving dishes and trays, tankards and pitchers, and larger items such as soup tureens and hot-water urns. Almost every article made in sterling silver was also crafted by Sheffield makers, who used this manufacturing process to produce nearly identical wares at far less cost.
