Plating

Plating signifies the covering of an inferior metal with one of the precious metals, the object being to give the appearance of silver or gold to articles chiefly intended for table use. Previous to the introduction of electro-plating (see ELECTROMETALLURGY) the method generally pursued was Sheffield-plating—by means of a plating furnace—soldering on to one or both sides of an ingot of the baser metal a thin plate of silver. See also TIN-PLATE, GALVANISED IRON.