Group of 3 Silver-plated Victorian Era Coffin Plates / Plaques. 2 At Rest, One Our Darling and One Our Mother. The Largest at 7.25"x4". PROVENANCE: A Charleston SC Private Estate. The practice of coffin plates dates to the 17th century. Generally made of a soft metal like pewter, silver, brass, copper or tin, coffin plates are decorative adornments attached to the coffin that contain information like the name and death date of the deceased or a endearment. In the 17th and early 18th c. they were expensive but by the time of the industrial revolution their affordability increased and most familes could afford them. At the time that the use of coffin plates was increasing the practice of removing the plates from the coffin before burial increased. The coffin plates were often removed to be kept as mementos by the loved ones of the deceased. This practice started in the late 1840s and peaked in the late 19th century (1880-1899).

minor wear and tarnish