[Colofornian]

From the article: William Smith, Joseph's brother, who was quoted in the Saints Herald (31, 1884, p. 644) as stating that the plates were a mixture of gold and copper. One can only imagine how William arrived at such a conclusion since there is no evidence to suggest that the plates were ever analyzed. Making William's statement even less credible is the fact that he admitted to having never seen the plates. He claimed, "I was permitted to lift them as they laid in a pillow-case; but not to see them, as was contrary to the commands he had received. They weighed about sixty pounds according to the best of my judgment" (A New Witness for Christ in America 2:417).

Indeed, how would Smith know of the mixture? He never analyzed it! In fact, he didn’t even see them! Yet the July 7 Mormon Times article still claims: William Smith said "about sixty pounds." William Smith also said the plates were "a mixture of gold and copper" — the precise alloy that Putnam found was used by ancient Americans. Source link: How gold were the golden plates?

[T Minus Four]

When you take into consideration that the plates were engraved in space-saving reformed Egyptian, because, as Moroni wrote, "if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew

Oh, it's all so clear now.