Amazing Specimen of "Old Sheffield Plate"

Wow, this is a precious specimen of Old Sheffield plate! Can you believe this was hand made about 224 years ago!? Old Sheffield Plate is a valuable and rare antique.  This unusual item was most likely used to keep food warm. It is marked with a family crest, probably the Alexander crest which encompassed the lineage of many different families and names.   There are special signs when a piece is Old Sheffield and this piece was clearly made during that earliest period when plate was invented. It has the rolled edges on the bottom and seams where you can see that the plates of sterling covered copper were joined together by hand. Late 1700's or early 1800's from Sheffield, England.  A valuable collector's piece.  9.5” x 11" x 3.5" t 

'Old Sheffield Plate', an exquisite and rare craftsmanship not to be mistaken for the later and inferior 'SHEFFIELD PLATE' items, stands as a testament to the ingenuity of mid-18th-century British artisans. This unparalleled process involved delicately layering a sheet of lustrous sterling silver over a core of copper, skillfully heating and meticulously rolling it into splendid sheets. These precious sheets were then transformed into an array of opulent table items, ranging from intricate hollow-ware and resplendent trays to elegant candelabras, candlesticks, wine coasters, and, on rare occasions, even exquisite cutlery.