Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting
of copper, antimony, bismuth and sometimes, less commonly today, lead. Silver is also
sometimes used. Copper and antimony act as hardeners while lead is common in the lower
grades of pewter, which have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C,
depending on the exact mixture of metals. The word pewter is likely a variation of the
word spelter, a term for zinc alloys.
History Pewter was first used around the beginning
of the Bronze Age in the Near East. The earliest piece of pewter found is from an Egyptian
tomb from 1450 BC. Types
The constituents of pewter were first controlled in the 12th century by town guilds in France.
By the 15th century, the Worshipful Company of Pewterers controlled pewter constituents
in England. This company originally had two grades of pewter, but in the 16th century
a third grade was added. The first type, known as "fine metal", was used for tableware. It
consisted of tin with as much copper as it could absorb, which is about 1%. The second
type, known as "trifling metal" or "trifle", was used for holloware and is made up of fine
metal with approximately 4% lead. The last type of pewter, known as "lay" or "ley" metal,
was used for items that were not in contact with food or drink. It consisted of tin with
15% lead. These three alloys were used, with little variation, until the 20th century.
Older pewters with higher lead content are heavier, tarnish faster, and oxidation gives
them a darker silver-gray color. Pewters containing lead are no longer used in items that will
come in contact with the human body due to health concerns stemming from the lead content.
Modern pewters are available that are completely free of lead, although many pewters containing
lead are still being produced for other purposes. A typical European casting alloy contains
94% tin, 1% copper, and 5% antimony. A European pewter sheet would contain 92% tin, 2% copper,
and 6% antimony. Asian pewter, produced mostly in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, contains
a higher percentage of tin, usually 97.5% tin, 1% copper, and 1.5% antimony. This makes
the alloy slightly softer.
Uses Pewter was used in the ancient world by the
Egyptians and later the Romans, and came into extensive use in Europe from the Middle Ages
until the various developments in pottery and glass-making during the 18th and 19th
centuries. Pewter items are often found in churches. Pewter was the chief tableware until
the making of porcelain. Mass production of pottery, porcelain and glass products has
seen pewter universally replaced in day-to-day life. Pewter artifacts continue to be produced,
mainly as decorative or specialty items. Pewter was also used around East Asia. Although some
items still exist, Ancient Roman pewter is rare.
"Unlidded" mugs and lidded tankards may be the most familiar pewter artifacts from the
late 17th and 18th centuries, although the metal was also used for many other items including
porringers, plates, dishes, basins, spoons, measures, flagons, communion cups, teapots,
sugar bowls, beer steins, and cream jugs. In the early 19th century, changes in fashion
caused a decline in the use of pewter flatware. At the same time, production increased of
both cast and spun pewter tea sets, whale-oil lamps, candlesticks, and so on. Later in the
century, pewter alloys were often used as a base metal for silver-plated objects.
In the late 19th century, pewter came back into fashion with the revival of medieval
objects for decoration. New replicas of Medieval pewter objects were created, and collected
for decoration. Today, pewter is used in decorative objects, mainly collectible statuettes and
figurines, game figures, aircraft and other models, coins, pendants, plated jewellery
and so on. Certain athletic contests, such as the United States Figure Skating Championships,
award pewter medals to the fourth place finishers.
See also Britannia metal
English pewter Royal Selangor
Spin casting Notes
References
External links PewterBank
"Pewter". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1911.