Old Sheffield Plate is the name generally given to the material developed by Thomas Boulsover in the 1740s, a fusion of copper and silver which could be made into a range of items normally made in solid silver. The material rapidly gained popularity as a substitute for solid silver, as it was much cheaper to produce. Any object made in silver could in effect be made in Old Sheffield Plate, although objects subject to heavy wear such as spoons and forks were not so satisfactory in plate.

A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole.