Prince's metal

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Scope note
Refers to an alloy used in the jewelry and watch trade during the 17th and 18th centuries, mostly in England; it was golden in color and was probably an alloy of copper and zinc that resembled brass. Some sources specifically describe it as a type of brass with a composition of three parts copper to one of zinc pickled in a diluted spirit of vitriol and then immersed in aquafortis before burnishing. Prince's metal was supposedly invented by Prince Rupert of the Rhine.
Prince's metal
Accepted term: 18-Nov-2024