A Few Enigmatic Ornate Bits...

[Erik in NJ]

I'm not quite sure what the base metal is on these decorative pieces. They are quite heavy and through a loupe I see white flakey stuff essentially growing on them as they oxide. One smaller item (not pictured) is sitting in hot peroxide, but this metal doesn't cause much fizzing and I'm not sure how to clean them further as they appear to be somewhat brittle. My best guess is late 1700's to mid-1800's timeframe which is considerably older than what I was finding on this property. The one item is obviously a concave handle of some sort that attached to a circular item (notice the pronounced lip). But a handle to what? The other piece is very decorative, but I don't see any attachment points. All of the items show signs of gilt remaining here and there, but I'm not sure if they all stem from the same item. The base metal in all seems to be identical (pewter?). Any tips on further cleaning? Any ideas on what they were from?

Other items found on the property include two silver plated spoons (different makers). A piece of a copper garter clip. A silver or nickle plated buckle. Some parts to a small clock with a little crescent shaped pendulum. A few spent brass shotgun shells. I'm not sure when garter clips were in vogue, but the other items seem to be younger than these enigmatic fragments.

 

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[ClovisOak]

Possibly brittania that has been gilded or pewter. I found a butter knife that I posted that seems kinda similar. Maybe this was the butter dish? I had mine soaking in vinegar and it cleaned it up a bit, but started to take the gild off so I stopped.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks ClovisOak--question...what is brittania? I've never heard of it. Was hoping I'd get a few more replies as to approximate timeframe of this piece and cleaning suggestions. Does anyone recommend aluminum jelly? I've never used this before. Thanks.

 

[timekiller]

Some kind of white metal would be my guess.Date hard to say but if I had to guess mid to late 1800's into the early 20th century.I'd just boil it in peroxide let it dry tooth brush it if needed after that soap & water & tooth brush.Sorta like the pieces I found below.

Here is your other question.....................

Pewter was traditionally an alloy primarily of tin with some copper and lead added. Around the time of the revolution,pewter metal was being replaced with Britannia metal, a harder alloy of tin utilizing Antimony. (A typical alloy today willhave 90-92% tin, 8-9% Antimony, and 0.5-2% Copper.) Britannia is harder than pewter and looks more like silver. Anypewter reproductions purchased today will probably be made of Britannia metal. Spoons have always been cast in molds,so the manufacture of spoons was not changed after the introduction of Britannia, but the improved hardness of the metalenabled lighter cross sections and newer styles. The manufacturing of other items, such as dinner plates, changed from​

casting in molds to spinning of Britannia metal sheet on lathes, a much higher production method.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks TK for the great info. When you say white metal, what exactly do you mean--what sort of metal? The pieces are heavy like pewter/brittania/lead but are showing these flakey white oxidation spots on them. I agree that they resemble the bits that you've found. Any ideas what they came from? Was hoping you or someone else might be able to ID the handle piece. Boiling peroxide doesn't fizz much when it contacts this metal, not like copper and I don't know why. Would vinegar or aluminum jelly be a better option? Thanks for any info.

 

[timekiller]

Thanks TK for the great info. When you say white metal, what exactly do you mean--what sort of metal? The pieces are heavy like pewter/brittania/lead but are showing these flakey white oxidation spots on them. I agree that they resemble the bits that you've found. Any ideas what they came from? Was hoping you or someone else might be able to ID the handle piece. Boiling peroxide doesn't fizz much when it contacts this metal, not like copper and I don't know why. Would vinegar or aluminum jelly be a better option? Thanks for any info.

Not sure what you got but it was used alot,for casting molding items.Jewlery boxes,mantel clocks,figerines,candel sticks etc.I'd say the white I see from your piece is the zinc leaching out.Not sure why it won't clean up for you.I tell you what you could do dip it in muratic acid.But be quick & careful cause the zinc reacts fast to the acid.But it would clean it if you are dead set.I've done it alot but I've done alot of things people on here might frown at.
White metal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Take Care,
Pete,

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks TK! How about aluminum jelly....would this help preserve the remaining gilt?

 

[timekiller]

Thanks TK! How about aluminum jelly....would this help preserve the remaining gilt?

Ooops sorry buddy did not read your post that it had guilt on it your tring to save,my bad.I'm not sure I myself have never used aluminum jelly.I know some on here do with guilted buttons but never heard of a case that it was aplied to the type surface your speaking of.The best I could tell you to save a gold guilt would be lemon juice.it works great in the times I've used it.Just keep checking it as it will disolve the guilt or at least make it come off if you don't watch it.Just check it & mabe scrub with a light brush q-tip every 5-min or so is the best I could tell you maybe some else will tell you about the jelly deal.But now that you say it's guilted sounds more like white/pot metal from the late 1800's early 20th century as they liked gold washing/guilting items of that era.Much like the pieces below I had laying around.
Take care,
Pete

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks Pete! Based on your estimate of timeframe these would fit in better with the other relics I was finding in this yard. I'd like to clean the stuff up and put it in a display and give it to the property owner--he was an old man and he really seemed to enjoy looking at the items I recovered from the ground there. I think it would make him happy.

 

[ClovisOak]

Timer killer gave a great answer on Brittania. I have read that brittania is the base metal under the gild of the academy award. I also read that gilding of metal began around 1840. I know you mentioned finding clock pieces in the area. I wonder if this might be fancy pieces of what surrounds a mantel clock by chance. I hadn't heard of brittania myself as well until recently.

 

[Erik in NJ]

Thanks ClovisOak--pieces of an ornate mantle clock sounds very reasonable--would explain the circular piece as part of the surround of the clock I suppose. Interesting...