Find something on display: Metal

Arms and armour have been made of metal since the Bronze Age. This weapon has a nickel-silver frame revolver with six-chambered fluted cylinder and folding butt. It combines this with a knuckleduster and blade.

From northern Nigeria in Africa.

This set of buttons were authenticated by the collector as having belonged to Sir Sydney Smith in 1810.

Black and white crystal form on rock.

Fine porcelain with painted decoration of a cherub and swans, and rich gilding added after firing.

A principal use for metal since ancient times has been for minting money.

This medal shows the fine detail of decoration that can be reproduced in metal. It was presented in 1872 to the Mayor and citizens of Canterbury by the French Association for the Advancement of Science, to commemorate their visit to the city. The obverse (front) has two figures in classical drapery, standing on a hillside overlooking factories, ships and trains all belching steam, with sunrise over a distant mountain signifying a new dawn. Lettering above them says ‘Pour la science, Pour la patrie’, which means ‘for Science and Country’. The reverse has a personification of the city of Canterbury as a classically draped female figure, sitting and reading a book with further books and mathematical instruments beside her, all set within an idyllic wooded landscape.

This plaque commemorates a French visit to city of Canterbury on 16 October 1906 and was probably commissioned by the Mayor, Francis Bennett Goldney, whose name is inscribed on the bottom right. It shows the personifications of Britannia and France facing one another and shaking hands, with a winged cherub between them holding a scroll saying ‘Canterbury’. Below them is inscribed ‘L’Entente Cordiale’. The arms of the city of Canterbury are included on the top right. One or more copies of the plaque would have been given to the French party as souvenirs.

Metal was smelted (melted) in ceramic containers like this, known as crucibles. The ceramics could withstand higher heat than metal, so the metal they contained melted long before the crucible burned.

Small dagger and sheath, given by Sir Sidney Smith to Lieutenant Thomas Doorne RN, according to the donor’s catalogue.

Once the property of Lady Elizabeth Muller, according to the donor.
Presented by Mr Alexander Wetherelt, by 1884

Particles of gold in quartz.

Reticulated or Specular haematite (iron oxide) from Norway.

From Auckland, New Zealand

Restored by Dr Georges Turle and presented in his memory by his children, William, John and Philip Turle and Mary Woods, 2012

This iron has a solid ‘heart’ that was removable for heating

Galena (sulphide of lead) in crystalline Baryte, from Derbyshire.

Lead sulphide in cubo-octagonal crystals with Dolomite, from Cumberland.

A cube, in two pieces, of lead sulphide, an ore of lead.

Iron oxide from Arkansas, USA.

Unknown date and origin

One of a pair, of unknown origin.

Smelted with surface bubbles

Copper in its natural state.

From Cornwall

Small branches or dendritic crystals on calcite from Kongsberg, Norway.

A sandstone whose reddish colour is due to oxidised iron content.

Communication across the Atlantic is by metal wires in cable like this early example.

Pewter – a lead tin mixture – is soft and can be pressed easily into moulds. It was used to manufacture large quantities of souvenirs like these for medieval pilgrims. The head of Becket and knight on a horse were made for pilgrims to Canterbury.

One of the watches has its casing removed to show the inner clock mechanism; another sits in a wooden pocket watch stand.

Metals conduct heat so are very useful for utensils in which water can be heated, and food cooked, on a fire. They are also shiny and have been used for lanterns, candlesticks and mirrors to reflect candlelight.

The warm yellow colour and mellow shine of gold, its rarity and its relative softness for working have made it a very popular metal for jewellery since ancient times. Black enamelling on gold was popular for mourning jewellery like one of the rings here.

Recorded by the donor as having come from India, belonged to Lady Burroughs in 1768, and presented by her niece to the donor.

From the Levant mine, Cornwall ‘276 fathom deep half mile out under sea’, collector ‘CGD’, probably 1829

Lead is a soft and plentiful metal that was used for making toys, as well as pipes and roof covering – it does not corrode easily and is waterproof. Large quantities of items could be cast, making the toys cheap and readily available. It ceased being used for toys in the mid-20th century when it was discovered to be poisonous.

Lead is a soft and plentiful metal that was used for making toys, as well as pipes and roof covering – it does not corrode easily and is waterproof. Large quantities of items could be cast, making the toys cheap and readily available. It ceased being used for toys in the mid-20th century when it was discovered to be poisonous.

Dark brown and white zinc manganese oxide.