A sculpture of a horse covered in jewels and two gold-plated mechanical birds are some of the most elaborate gifts presented to the US president. Nearly all of the gifts were turned over to the government, as employees aren’t allowed to keep items they receive in their official capacity. It was by far the most expensive gift given last year, according to documents published by the US State Department. Wendy Sherman, the chief US negotiator for the Iran nuclear deal, kept two rugs given to her by Iranian officials, valued at $1,100 (£900) and $1,150 (£940). He and first lady Michelle Obama also received matching Dutch bicycles. Worth an estimated $450 (£370), it was handed over to the US National Archives and Records Administration. Meanwhile Prince Harry, recorded as Prince Henry of Wales in the report, gave a signed and framed photograph of himself to the Obamas. The Cuban cigars were handed over to the Secret Service to dispose of. Barack Obama has published a list of gifts he received last year, including seven boxes of Cuban cigars. Each of the nine-inch chiffchaffs “tweets, turns, and flaps its wings once per hour”. Saudi Arabia also gave President Obama a sword with a hilt made of mother-of-pearl and gold in a ruby-encrusted gold and silver sheath, valued at $87,900 (£72,150). It was valued at $2,090 (£1,715). The horse sculpture presented to Barack Obama by Saudi King Salman in September 2015 was made from gold-plated sterling silver, diamonds, tsavorites, yellow sapphires, rubies and obsidian mounted on a rotating, piano-black lacquer base. The records show that in his role as prime minister, David Cameron gave Barack Obama a framed etching of Stonehenge. The bicycles, which were “made of black metal with a bell” were given by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and are thought to be worth $2,575 (£2,110). Its value, along with a chronometer, a set of golf clubs and a golf bag, was estimated at nearly $523,000 (£429,000). They had an estimated value of $4,100 (£3,360). The emir of Qatar gave the Obamas two gold-plated bird clock mechanisms worth $110,000 (£90,000) each. Although the majority of gifts were handed over, employees can keep items if they pay the US government out of their own pocket an amount equal to the value of the present.

The word in origin refers to the newly introduced Norman silver penny.

Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. Byzantine solidus, originally known as the solidus aureus meaning ‘solid gold’ or ‘reliable gold‘. By 1854, the tie between Easterling and Sterling was well-established, as Ronald Zupko quotes in his dictionary of weights. One of the earliest attestations of the term is in Old French form esterlin, in a charter of the abbey of Les Préaux, dating to either 1085 or 1104. The English chronicler Orderic Vitalis (1075 – c. Because the League’s money was not frequently debased like that of England, English traders stipulated to be paid in pounds of the Easterlings, which was contracted to sterling. Another argument is that the Hanseatic League was the source for both the origin of its definition and manufacture, and in its name is that the German name for the Baltic is Ostsee, or ‘East Sea’, and from this the Baltic merchants were called “Osterlings”, or “Easterlings”. In 1260, Henry III granted them a charter of protection. Such elements include germanium, zinc, platinum, silicon, and boron. 1300) with the explanation that the coin was originally made by moneyers from that region. The word in origin refers to the newly introduced Norman silver penny. Recent examples of these alloys include argentium, sterlium and silvadium. Fine silver, which is 99.9% pure silver, is relatively soft, so silver is usually alloyed with copper to increase its hardness and strength. Their Kontor, the Steelyard of London, was called Easterlings Hall, or Esterlingeshalle. The Hanseatic League was officially active in the London trade from 1266 to 1597. This etymology may have been first suggested by Walter de Pinchebek (c. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the most plausible etymology is a derivation from a late Old English steorling (with, or like, a ‘little star’), as some early Norman pennies were imprinted with a small star. 1142) uses the Latin forms libræ sterilensium and libræ sterilensis monetæ. The claim has been made in Henry Spelman’s glossary (Glossarium Archaiologicum) as referenced in Commentaries on the Laws of England by William Blackstone. The British numismatist Philip Grierson disagrees with the “star” etymology, as the stars appeared on Norman pennies only for the single three-year issue from 1077 to 1080 (the Normans changed coin designs every three years). In support of this he cites the fact that one of the first acts of the Normans was to restore the coinage to the consistent weight and purity it had in the days of Offa, King of Mercia.

This would have been perceived as a contrast to the progressive debasement of the intervening 200 years, and would therefore be a likely source for a nickname. A piece of sterling silver dating from Henry II’s reign was used as a standard in the Trial of the Pyx until it was deposited at the Royal Mint in 1843. It bears the royal stamp ENRI. Colonial silversmiths used many of the techniques developed by those in Europe. Stamping each of their pieces with their personal maker’s mark, colonial silversmiths relied upon their own status to guarantee the quality and composition of their products. Between 1634 and 1776, some 500 silversmiths created items in the “New World” ranging from simple buckles to ornate Rococo coffee pots. In Colonial America, sterling silver was used for currency and general goods as well. 12th century in the area that is now northern Germany. 3⁄4 pennyweights of alloy, with 20 pennyweights to the troy ounce. The colonies lacked an assay office during this time (the first would be established in 1814), so American silversmiths adhered to the standard set by the London Goldsmiths Company: sterling silver consisted of 91.5-92.5% by weight silver and 8.5-7.5 wt% copper. Although silversmiths of this era were typically familiar with all precious metals, they primarily worked in sterling silver. Casting was frequently the first step in manufacturing silver pieces, as silver workers would melt down sterling silver into easily manageable ingots. REX (“King Henry”) but this was added later, in the reign of Henry III.

To note the date and/or location of the manufacture or tradesman.

Occasionally, they would create small components (e.g. teapot legs) by casting silver into iron or graphite molds, but it was rare for an entire piece to be fabricated via casting. To reduce the amount of counterfeiting of silver items. Finally, they would file and polish their work to remove all seams, finishing off with engraving and stamping the smith’s mark. Hammering required more time than all other silver manufacturing processes, and therefore accounted for the majority of labor costs. To note the date and/or location of the manufacture or tradesman. More commonly, a silversmith would forge an ingot into the desired shape, often hammering the thinned silver against specially shaped dies to “mass produce” simple shapes like the oval end of a spoon. With the onset of the first Industrial Revolution, silversmithing declined as an artistic occupation. The hammering occurred at room temperature, and, like any cold forming process, caused work hardening of the silver, which become increasingly brittle and difficult to shape. Following the Revolutionary War, Revere acquired and made use of a silver rolling mill from England. Although he is celebrated for his beautiful hollowware, Revere made his fortune primarily on low-end goods produced by the mill, such as flatware. Silversmiths would then seam parts together to create complex and artistic items, sealing the gaps with a solder of 80 wt% silver and 20 wt% bronze. He retired a wealthy artisan, his success partly due to this strategic investment. To indicate the purity of the silver alloy used in the manufacture or hand-crafting of the piece. To restore the workability, the silversmith would anneal the piece-that is, heat it to a dull red and then quench it in water-to relieve the stresses in the material and return it to a more ductile state. Cutlery sets were often accompanied by tea sets, hot water pots, chocolate pots, trays and salvers, goblets, demitasse cups and saucers, liqueur cups, bouillon cups, egg cups, plates, napkin rings, water and wine pitchers and coasters, candelabra and even elaborate centerpieces. The height of the silver craze was during the 50-year period from 1870 to 1920. Flatware lines during this period sometimes included up to 100 different types of pieces. This was especially true during the Victorian period, when etiquette dictated no food should be touched with one’s fingers. There was a marked increase in the number of silver companies that emerged during that period. To identify the silversmith or company that made the piece. From about 1840 to 1940 in the United States and Europe, sterling silver cutlery (US: ‘flatware’) became de rigueur when setting a proper table. The American revolutionary Paul Revere was regarded as one of the best silversmiths from this “Golden Age of American Silver”.

The interest in sterling silver extended to business (paper clips, mechanical pencils, letter openers, calling card boxes, cigarette cases), to the boudoir (dresser trays, mirrors, hair and suit brushes, pill bottles, manicure sets, shoehorns, perfume bottles, powder bottles, hair clips) and even to children (cups, cutlery, rattles). For example, some leading saxophone manufacturers such as Selmer and Yanagisawa have crafted some of their saxophones from sterling silver. The alloy‘s natural malleability is an obvious physical advantage, but it is also naturally aseptic. The black silver sulfide (Ag2S) is among the most insoluble salts in aqueous solution, a property that is exploited for separating silver ions from other positive ions. Use as surgical and medical instruments as early as Ur, Hellenistic-era Egypt and Rome, and their use continued until largely replaced in Western countries in the mid to late 20th century by cheaper, disposable plastic items and sharper, more durable steel ones. Several products have been developed for the purpose of polishing silver that serve to remove sulfur from the metal without damaging or warping it. However, it is attacked by common components of atmospheric pollution: silver sulfide slowly appears as a black tarnish during exposure to airborne compounds of sulfur (byproducts of the burning of fossil fuels and some industrial processes), and low level ozone reacts to form silver oxide. Sodium chloride (NaCl) or common table salt is known to corrode silver-copper alloy, typically seen in silver salt shakers where corrosion appears around the holes in the top. Techniques such as wheel polishing, which are typically performed by professional jewelers or silver repair companies, are reserved for extreme tarnish or corrosion. Chemically, silver is not very reactive-it does not react with oxygen or water at ordinary temperatures, so does not easily form a silver oxide. Use as jewelry rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Web article by Jeffrey Herman, silversmith, specialist in silver restoration and conservation. As the purity of the silver decreases, the problem of corrosion or tarnishing increases because other metals in the alloy, usually copper, may react with oxygen in the air. Because harsh polishing and buffing can permanently damage and devalue a piece of antique silver, valuable items are typically hand-polished to preserve the unique patinas of older pieces. Some brasswind instrument manufacturers use 92.5% sterling silver as the material for making their instruments, including the flute and saxophone.