Death Plaques attached to gravestones in the same cemetery weathering to different colours.

[rolt968]

Was the chemical composition of the death plaque alloy always the same? I have noticed that the death plaques attached to gravestones in the same cemetery are turning different colours. (I have checked. it isn't caused by dripping water from trees. The plaques are different colours on gravestones which are not under trees.)

RM

[Matlock1418]

3 minutes ago, rolt968 said:

Was the chemical composition of the death plaque alloy always the same? I have noticed that the death plaques attached to gravestones in the same cemetery are turning different colours.

I'm afraid I don't know the answer but offer a question/suggestion ...

Were they from different sources/foundaries = Acton -v- Woolwich?

You may need to go back to the graveyard with a magnifying glass :-/ 

Much discussion on indentifying sources on GWF - As you won't be able to see the rears of the plaques then by the lion's hind legs, placing of numbers etc., should perhaps help distinguish source(s) I believe.

Good luck!

M

[Coldstreamer]

it would also depend on factors such as how long have they been there and what did they look like when put there. 

given the numbers made there would be slight variations in composition 

[Matlock1418]

On 29/01/2022 at 12:06, Coldstreamer said:

it would also depend on factors such as how long have they been there and what did they look like when put there. 

given the numbers made there would be slight variations in composition 

Agreed, it is quite open to possible variation but there were differences in the casting process between Acton -v- Woolwich

The sand moulds' chemical composition did apparently vary between foundries [affecting quality of the respective castings] and it thus seems possible that the cast metal might perhaps have also varied too.

M

Edited 30 January , 2022 by Matlock1418
typos

[Coldstreamer]

Can you post pictures of them ?  The plaques I have differ in colour slightly - especially the plated one to Mrs Coldstreamers grandfather!

I would add though not so say which cemetery or the names as it might encourage someone to go and pinch them. Unfortunately thats the world we live in 

 

[Matlock1418]

19 minutes ago, Coldstreamer said:

not so say which cemetery or the names

Sound advice - reflecting our rather sad times. :-/

M

[rolt968]

On 29/01/2022 at 12:15, Coldstreamer said:

Can you post pictures of them ?  The plaques I have differ in colour slightly - especially the plated one to Mrs Coldstreamers grandfather!

I would add though not so say which cemetery or the names as it might encourage someone to go and pinch them. Unfortunately thats the world we live in 

 

I will see what I can do. I will certainly be able to supply photos of the death plaques. I have photographed all the gravestones. Although even then, not wanting to draw attention to the stones I did it very discretely.

RM

[rolt968]

stevebecker makes an interesting point in my other thread about the bronze panels on war memorials:

https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/295844-blackened-bronze-panels-on-war-memorials-has-anyone-found-a-way-of-cleaning-them/#comment-3091766

I had not thought about the death plaques' being cleaned either before or after they were attached to the gravestone.

RM

Edited 2 February , 2022 by rolt968

[Old Owl]

I would expect the compostion of the material to vary slightly due to the product being produced, which to all intents and purposes was a nameplate rather than an engineering casting. Hence the exact composition would not be quite as important.

The material would be a gunmetal alloy of a 88/10/2 composition, ie 88% copper, 10% tin and 2% zinc, obviously the more zinc that is added then the lighter the colour of the alloy, for instance yellow brass has a composition of approximately 65% copper and 35% zinc, this giving a yellow appearance to a casting.

If a memorial plaque is exposed to damp conditions then it will turn a shade of bluey/green which is basically a copper oxide coating--this is generally more green than blue.