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We are one of the UK's premier furniture dealers and have been trading in London for four decades. We specialise in English and Continental furniture, silver, porcelain, and decorative items both antique and contemporary. We exhibit our collection in 25,000 square feet of elegant showrooms in our large warehouse very close to the centre of London.

Antique Old George III Sheffield Silver Plated Butter Dish 19th C

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This is a superb antique George III Old Sheffield silver plated butter dish, circa 1820 in date,

The dish is modelled as a miniature entree dish, with gadrooned borders, reeded handles and four paw feet. It has a decorative engraved crest to lid and the base.

Add an elegant touch to your next dining experience.

Condition:

In excellent condition. As an antique item, the piece show signs of use commensurate with age, these minor condition issues are mentioned for accuracy and, as seen in the accompanying photographs, the dish displays beautifully.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 13 x Width 21 x Depth 12

Dimensions in inches:

Height 5 inches x Width 8 inches x Depth 5 inches

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 by Thomas Boulsover, of Sheffield's Cutlers Company, in 1743. While trying to repair the handle of a customer's decorative knife, he heated it too much and the silver started to melt. 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.

Boulsover set up in business, funded by Strelley Pegge of Beauchief, 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, Boulsover was 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.

Our reference: A3167

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Take a tour of our London showrooms

Write to us:

Regent Antiques

Manor Warehouse

318 Green Lanes

London N4 1BX

By Underground:

Take Piccadilly line to Manor House station.

Go to top of escalators and turn left.

Take exit 7 and walk straight on for 10 metres.

Manor Warehouse is on the right.

By road:

There is car parking available on site.

Payment

Pay with your credit card through PayPal.

Please make all cheques payable to "Regent Antiques."

Bank details: Regent Antiques - BBVA - Account: 05701615 - Sort: 23-59-11

Shipping and returns

We ship worldwide.

Postage and packing for:

Mainland UK: FREE

European Union: £20.00

North America: £30.00 (Please note that this is in Pounds Sterling, not US Dollars)

Rest of world: £40.00

If you require shipping to a location for which a shipping charge is not provided, please ask for a quote prior to bidding.

Williams and Hill Forwarding is our preferred shipping agent for our valuable and fragile furniture items delivered within the UK.

After you purchase, we will make all the arrangements to get your item to your door.

Stephen Morris Shipping is our preferred specialist for delivery outside of the UK.

Increased shipping costs incurred when purchasing additional items are generally quite low.

For the best value, we recommend offsetting this cost by purchasing multiple items.

We require that someone be home on the agreed delivery day if applicable, otherwise a redelivery fee will apply.

In accordance with Distance Selling Regulations, we offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the item.

The item must be returned in its original packaging and condition.

Unless the item is not as described in a material way, the buyer is responsible for return shipping expenses.

Buyers are fully responsible for any customs duties or local taxes that may be incurred on items sent outside of the United Kingdom, and we are not responsible for any delays in shipping or in the customs procedures of any jurisdiction, which are completely beyond our control.

Please be advised that claims for damage with certain carriers can sometimes take several months to resolve, and we would be grateful for your patience and cooperation throughout the process.

Returns will be processed and refunds issued within 2-3 business days of receipt.