Speculum Metal - Overview

Overview

Speculum metal mixtures usually contain two parts copper to one part tin along with a small amount of arsenic, although there are other mixtures containing silver, brass, lead, or zinc. The knowledge of making very hard white high luster metal out of bronze-type high-tin alloys may date back more than 2000 years in China although it could also be an invention of western civilizations as well. Such metals were used in sculpture and to make more effective mirrors than the more common yellow easily tarnishing bronze mirrors. Mirrors of speculum metal or any precious metal were rare and only owned by the wealthy