The tin used for this paperweight was recovered from the shipwreck of the S.S. cheerful which sank en-route to Liverpool, on 20th July 1885. She was run down in the thick fog by a torpedo ship H.M.S. Hecla.

The tin ingots, each stamped with a smelter’s mark, were each identifiable as having come from either Cornwall or Devon. They were skilfully recovered from the seabed by divers. Some, in a poor condition, were re-smelted by the Cornish Tin Company and have been used make these stunning reminders of the heritage of Cornish Tin.

This project arose out of a collaboration between Matthew Holland and Barry Gamble. Matthew's sister Lisa helped with the production process. She said "I loved melting the ingots for the paperweights! It was smelly and smokey work as all the debris burnt off, but when the molten tin was skimmed it was simply beautiful. Pouring them was quite tricky as they had to weigh exactly one pound in weight".