Silver Goods. 361 



the quantity of silver with a degree of exactness that entitles it 

 to the fullest confidence. It appears that the consumption from 

 1810 to 1829, both years included, amounted in London and in 

 Scotland to 23,055,082 ounces ; in the country places in Eng- 

 land, supposing the whole of the duty in them to have been 

 paid on silver, to 911,750 ounces ; and in Ireland to 1,539,517 

 ounces ; thus showing the consumption of the United Kingdom 

 for the twenty years to have been 25,506,339 ounces, or at the 

 average annual rate of 1,275,316 ounces. The next division 

 of the use of silver is into that for watches, the cases of which 

 are stamped at the assay-offices, to determine the fineness of 

 the metal, although they are not subject to any duty. It is 

 seen that the number of watches stamped in London in the 

 same twenty years, was 2,015,461, or 100,773 annually; each 

 being 2^ ounces, would give an annual use of 226,740 ounces. 

 The average number assayed at Birmingham, but chiefly made 

 at Coventry, was about 60,000, weighing two ounces each, or 

 120,000 ounces. In Edinburgh, Glasgow, York, Dublin, 

 Newcastle, Exeter, Sheffield, and Liverpool, those of which 

 last place are assayed at Chester, the number may be taken 

 together at 80,000, of 2 ounces each, or at 160 ounces, thus 

 making together 506,740 ounces. 



Another mode in which silver is used is that of making 

 plated goods, chiefly manufactured at Birmingham and Shef- 

 field, and in no inconsiderable degree in London. The rolling 

 of silver in contact with the inferior metals, is performed by ex- 

 tensive and powerful flatting mills, at each of these three places ; 

 but the largest portion, as regards extent of surface, is executed 

 at Birmingham. The lowest kind of these rolled sheets produ- 

 ced by the Birmingham manufacturers, does not contain more 

 than between 3 and 4 pennyweights of silver to each pound of 

 the inferior metal on which it is plated. Much of this lower plate 

 is sent from Birmingham to .Sheffield, and there manufactured 

 into goods, which, by its inferior quality when sold, as it fre- 

 quently is, as Sheffield plates, injures the reputation of the pro- 

 ductions of the latter town, and is a subject of complaint with 

 the respectable manufacturers there. 



The Sheffield plate generally contains more than 5 penny- 

 weights of silver to the pound of copper or other metal, and 



