Diagram of coalfields south of Malmesbury, England. The diagram presents a cross-section of the Earth, depicting strata of coal seams, old and new red sandstone, mountain limestone, millstone grit, pennant, inferior and great oolite, and cornbrash and forest marble. The basin-like occurrence of coal strata is demonstrated.

This figure is from The Playbook of Metals, an informative and entertaining volume on all aspects of the history, mining, smelting, and metallurgy of the metals then known. The author, John Henry Pepper (1821-1900), was an analytical chemist and professor of chemistry at the Royal Polytechnic, London. Nearly 300 engravings illustrate the text, which includes chapters on coal, coal mines, and the art of alchemy, as well as individual metals and their combinations.