Object Record
Metadata
Collection |
Building Furnishings, Appliances and Household Tools |
Catalog Number |
6651 |
Object Name |
Set, Flatware |
Description |
Partial set of silverware, silver plate, simple pattern, one butter knife, four salad size forks, two serving spoons, stamped with "1847 Rogers Bros". "Although many newcomers to the antiques hobby draw the conclusion that their 1847 Rogers Bros. silver dates from 1847, or consists of solid silver, this is certainly not the case. The technique of electroplating a thin coat of silver over a base metal became feasible in the 1840s. The base metal selected for flat tableware was usually nickel silver, a misnomer which actually contained no silver but was an alloy of nickel, zinc and copper. The Rogers Brothers-- Asa, Simeon, and William--had established a shop in Hartford, Connecticut in the 1840s. The brothers were known for the high quality of their wares and when they felt they had perfected the electroplating process in 1847 they marked their product with their name." |