Elkington & Co. - Coaster (6) - Silverplated

Magnificent set of 6 silver-plated coasters, Sheffield, produced by Elkington & Co.

Rare, high-class set, made in the United Kingdom, silver-plated. Objects of great refinement and elegance, perfect for adding a touch of class to any table with a Made in England product from one of Sheffield's most prominent manufacturers.

In excellent overall condition.

Diameter: 7 cm, cup space: 6.5 cm.

Elkington & Co is one of the most important names in England for silver and Sheffield plate. They started the company in Birmingham in 1836. In 1838 they discovered and patented a new way to plate a metal onto the surface of another. The company is best known for filing the first patents for galvanic silver plating around 1840, by which time production was already under way.
The company Elkington & Co. immediately realized the great potential of this discovery, so it focused all its efforts on gaining control over this new process, buying up all possible patents both in England and abroad, taking over rival companies and hiring all the best craftsmen of the period. Elkington thus obtained a monopoly on the galvanic process, so anyone wishing to obtain instructions was forced to go to Birmingham to the Elkington & Co. Company and pay a Royalty, which was nothing more than compensation, since their patent to be filed was used for commercial purposes.
The royalties were not fixed, but each contract could carry a different price. In fact, at the beginning it was required that, in addition to the silversmith's mark, they also bear the Elkington mark.
The Old Sheffield plate manufacturers, to replace their wares with galvanic silvering, would therefore have had to go to Elkington. But the pride of many manufacturers was such that they refused to submit to their demands: only about a third of the major Old Sheffield manufacturers survived into the mid-1800s. Elkington & Co exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 held in Hyde Park, London, in the Crystal Palace built especially for it. They were enormously successful.
The company received financial backing from Josiah Mason in 1842 (renaming the firm Elkington, Mason & Co between 1842 and 1861) and it was a great success.
Produces mainly everyday objects for the home and hotels in a wide variety of designs, especially Renaissance-inspired. It licenses the silver-plate rights to other famous companies, such as the French Christofle. Despite its primary activity in the silverware sector, Elkington also makes high-quality solid silver pieces and is one of the companies that produced works designed by Christopher Dresser.