I'd ask at local plumbing places and see if you can find somebody who'd build a little deck in the faucet opening so that you could use a standard faucet -- or they might know of a bridge faucet that would fit the gap. Probably you could get a tile or stone insert there, rather than trying to match the glaze on the iron...

the silver piece and faucet is what I need...where is it rusted through?

I would contact a supplier who deals specifically in older stuff for renovations or even Ebay, someone may have the one you need. If for some reason you can't make it work perhaps there is a modern version of this sink that gives you the look you're after?

I did find a supplier that can sell me the plate but said without the faucet its pretty much obsolete since the faucet holds the plate in place

You will need to have this re-enameled anyway why not see if someone can somehow attach a plate there before they resurface I know they can fix cracks so hopefully the same sysem could be used

There isn't any place left that reporcelainizes sinks. It was more expensive than buying one of the new retro sinks when there was. The only type of resurfacing left is paints of one variety or another. Epoxy or powder coating. Neither holds up at all well for more than a couple of years of light use for a sink.

Found this reference from Washington Post: "you can get a classic cast-iron sink recoated with true porcelain enamel. That’s Custom Ceramic Coatings in Lenzburg, Ill. (618-475-2710; www.customceramic.com). The owner, John Ballantyne, will sandblast the sink to remove remnants of your epoxy plus the original lead-based porcelain enamel glass and apply a new porcelain enamel finish that he bakes on in a kiln."

Assuming the finish is salvageable, you could go ahead and have that plate made of magnetic metal, use tiny high powered magnets to hold the plate in place (with silicone to keep out water) and use a faucet that mounts to the wall or counter instead:

I get loving features with history, but on my screen it does look like a lot of rust across the front edge. Photos are deceiving though and if you say it has no chips, I've got to believe you mean that.

Maybe seeing it cleaned up would help us?

I can understand the history and the uniqueness of this sink, but to me it seems like it's mostly drain board. The sink itself does not look big enough to handle much.

Yes it is a Crane Sunnyday