Georgian style spectacles

I decided to make these after seeing an antique pair; I only need glasses for reading and close work, and they are so small that you can look over the top of them for distance, like the half moon specs that seem to have gone out of fashion. Also they have an extra fold in the arms, so the case can be much smaller and more convenient to carry around. Making these tested my abilities and patience to the limit: hand cutting and filing the hinges took a good while. The whole operation took nearly a week. I used a bag of silver sixpences (pre 1919) and silver US dollars (pre 1935) sold to me by Godfrey, melted down, poured into moulds, and milled using a Durston Rolling Mill (thank you Matthew). Godfrey must have been one of the most erudite and knowledgeable stallholders ever to work in Cambridge market, and his expertise and friendship are sorely missed