The original Stanley Cup bowl was made of silver. Lord Stanley purchased the small bowl in 1892 and donated it as the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, the trophy that became known as the Stanley Cup.
The bowl was made in Sheffield, England, and was sold through the London silversmith G. R. Collis and Company. It stood about 18.5 centimetres high and measured 29 centimetres across. Stanley had “Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup” engraved on one side and “From Stanley of Preston” on the other. The trophy was originally intended for Canada’s top amateur hockey team, with possession changing through a challenge system.
The word “silver” describes the original bowl, not every later version of the trophy. The modern Presentation Cup is a replica created in 1963 and is made from a silver-and-nickel alloy. The original 1892 bowl is now preserved at the Hockey Hall of Fame, while the Presentation Cup is the version traditionally awarded to NHL champions. That distinction explains why descriptions of the Cup’s material can vary.