Coffin plate

They are usually made of a soft metal like lead, pewter, silver, brass, copper or tin.

For a basic funeral, a simple lead plate would be lettered with the name, date of death and often the age of the departed, and nailed to the lid of a wooden coffin.

But high status people could afford a plate of a more expensive metal and elaborate design.

Through the centuries, more people were able to afford the luxury of a coffin plate and with the Industrial Revolution, by the mid-19th century, the cost of the plates decreased so much that almost every family could afford to have one put on the coffin of their loved ones.

In the UK and Australia coffin name plates are legally required (whether for burial and cremation) as a means of identifying the deceased.