Hello! I am hoping for some insight into the fireplace in my "new" old house. I recently purchased a 1903 Edwardian style home with a beautiful Monarch coal burning fireplace with an ornate cast iron surround. I am only the third owner in 107 years. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), the place wasn't kept up by the previous two owners, and the fireplace is covered in 100 years of soot and grime. When I began cleaning the surround in hopes of restoring it, I was surprised to find the remains of what appears to be copper and/or nickel plating - clearly not paint.
Was this type of thing common?
How do I figure out if the plating was copper or nickel, as I understand that copper was commonly used as a base for nickel plating? Copper seems to make sense, since the mantel and remainder of the woodwork in the room is cherry, but there is clearly a "silvery" character on parts of the lower front grate, although elsewhere the effect is definitely copper.
The attached photo is early in the cleaning process. It has since cleaned up much "pinker."
Was this type of thing common?
How do I figure out if the plating was copper or nickel, as I understand that copper was commonly used as a base for nickel plating? Copper seems to make sense, since the mantel and remainder of the woodwork in the room is cherry, but there is clearly a "silvery" character on parts of the lower front grate, although elsewhere the effect is definitely copper.
The attached photo is early in the cleaning process. It has since cleaned up much "pinker."
