Text of report for the EIV Bread & Butter Plate by Samuel Hough, derived from Gorham's Costing Records in the Gorham Archives:
According to the costing Slip (box 74), 24 EIV Bread and Butter Plates were made for stock and completed 27, October 1927. A previous sample, G over YN, was
duplicated by Magnussen and his team of craftsmen.
Each plate consisted of 5.60 troy ounces of silver which at $0.75/oz. was valued at $4.20.
The silver was spun for twelve minutes, then passed to a silversmith in room M3 who devoted forty-five minutes to making each plate, which was then chased for
another forty five minutes.
Oxidizing took place in room P2 for ten minutes. Bobbing of half an hour and finishing for a quarter hour completed the process.
Direct labor costs came to $1.25; the indirect expense was $1. Silver and labor costs added to $6.45, to which were added 30% overhead, $1.94, and 25%
profit, $2.10. Here the cost of chasing, $1.35, was added, for a sum of $11.84.
It appears the 24 were sold as a set, with the wholesale price of $144 and a retail of $240 for the two dozen.
The reference to a 'new card' may indicate that more were made, or that they were still in stock and the formula changed to conform to the new accounting method
that was installed around 1930.
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