How was antique silver plating done?
There are two antique processes known as silver plating. The first process used a combination of silver and copper sheets fused together. The second process used electroplating that is still commonly used today.ConsiderationsSilver is malleable and ductile and presents with a brilliant polished surface. It is commonly used by cutlers for plates, flatware, teapots and more. However, it is much more expensive than metals like copper that can also be worked into similar objects. In the 18th century in England, there was considerable effort to find a cheaper way to produce cutlery and other objects with a silver appearance.Fused SilverplateIn the 1740s in England a silversmith named Thomas Boulsover invented the first viable silver plating process. He took a brick of copper and fused it under heat to a brick of silver. The fused bricks were then rolled under pressure into a sheet. The sheet had one side of pure silver and one side of pure copper. The sheet could then be worked into objects
