CHAP. XXVI.

PLATED GOODS.

297

than between three and four pennyweights of silverto each pound of the inferior metal on which it isplated. Much of this lower plate is sent fromBirmingham to Sheffield, and there manufacturedinto goods, which by its inferior quality when sold,as it frequently is, as Sheffield plate, injures thereputation of the productions of the latter town,and is a subject of complaint with the respectablemanufacturers there.

The Sheffield plate generally contains more thanfive pennyweights of silver to the pound of copperor other metal, and much of it is plated on bothsides; besides which the small beading which sur-rounds the edges of the plated goods is formed ofsilver alone, which, though from its weight notchargeable with the duty, yet in the whole manu-facture consumes a large portion of silver. Theplated substances rolled by the flatting mills inLondon have commonly more silver applied to thesurface. Much of it is used by the platers to formornaments for coaches and for coach harness. Asthese ornaments suffer by friction from the fre-quent cleaning they require, it is necessary tohave a much thicker coating of silver than is re-quired for some other purposes. As far as canbe ascertained by inquiries of the platers, of theowners of flatting mills, and of the manufacturers ofplated goods, we are disposed to estimate the silverused for that particular purpose in Birmingham and Sheffield * including with it that used at Wal-