A nice quality Georgian antique "Old Sheffield Plate" silver plated sugar basket. Rectangular shaped solid sided basket with shaped reeded rim & a nicely decorated swing handle on the top. Raised on four corner mask & paw feet. Lovely collectors item.
 
Old Sheffield Plate or Fused Plate.
Fused plating is a process in which a thin sheet of silver is fused by heat to a much thicker copper ingot, the two metals then reacting as one when hammered or rolled. Produced from the 1740’s to the middle of the 19th century, it is now more commonly known as Old Sheffield Plate. This process predates silver plating or EPNS (electroplated nickel silver) as it is known which was first used on a commercial scale by Elkington & Co in Birmingham which involves assembling the object first before depositing a layer of silver over the entire piece by electroplating. 
 
Weight
309 grams
 
Dimensions
161mm x 110mm x 170mm
 
Condition.
Excellent condition with light surface marks that are consistent with genuine age, use & polishing with no dings or dents, some desirable minor loss of silver top surface in places revelling the copper ingot underneath.