Antique silver-plated coffee and tea service by Elkington & Co, 1880s, set of 4.

Antique silver-plated coffee and tea service by Elkington & Co, made in the UK in the 1880s. Elkington & Co is one of the most important names in English silver and silver plating. Elkington started in Birmingham in 1836 and experimented with innovative gilding techniques. By 1838, they discovered and patented a new method for electroplating one metal onto the surface of another. By 1840, production was already underway with electroplated silver items. The company received financial backing from Josiah Mason in 1842 (renaming the company Elkington, Mason & Co between 1842 and 1861) and experienced great success. It introduced electrotyping as a new method of producing silver-plated items. Elkington & Co exhibited with enormous success at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Elkington held royal patents for Queen Victoria, King Edward VI, King George V, King Edward VIII, and King George VI. The name Elkington & Co is still used today as a manufacturer under the auspices of British Silverware Ltd. The antique silver service bears the original manufacturer's label. Very good vintage condition.