Nickel plated Tilley Guardsman

Just finished fettling this for a friend and I think it went pretty well!

 

The Tillies over here all seem to be plated . Was this a export thing ?

 

If that's all you find, then maybe you're correct. Plated models were termed 'de Luxe' in the UK and therefore cost more. The plating isn't nickel, by the way. Tilley used an alloy called speculum (Greek for mirror, apparently) which they made to their own formulation. I can't remember what was in it except one constituent which was arsenic...

Edit: Speculum metal - Wikipedia

 

Not nickel but speculum.

 

Sorry, cross posted with Davis.

 

Ahhhh, thanks for the info. I don't know why but I thought the word speculum was a description!

 

Most Tilley “Guardsman” in Australia were speculum plated.

Cheers

Tony

 

Yes, here too, although I have seen a very few gold painted ones.