The History of Pewter

Pewter is a soft metal alloy that has been used since ancient times to create utensils, dinnerware, tankards, and decorative objects that have a lovely, soft sheen. The chief metal in pewter alloy is tin, with varying amounts of lead, copper, zinc, or antimony. The style and form of pewter objects can vary greatly, from basic shapes to ornate. Historically, pewter has been used to create spoons, dishes, cups, sugar bowls, steins, basins, tea pots, candlesticks, and small toys or decorative objects.

Pewter oxidizes slowly, keeping its original silver-gray appearance, which darkens slightly over time but does not tarnish like silver. It develops a patina of light and dark contrasts which bring out the details of sculpting. Pewter has a glowing beauty that assures its place as a desirable metal to enhance the home decor.

Tin is popularly though to be a common, cheap metal, but pure tin is expensive and the fourth most precious metal. Pewter ware was originally reserved for the tables of kings and wealthy families. Poor folks used wooden utensils. Used as tableware, the lead content of pewter could dissolve in the presence of acidic foods and cause lead poisoning. This may be the reason that people used to believe that tomatoes (which are highly acidic) were poisonous! Modern pewterers mix tin and copper with antimony or bismuth, and modern pewter does not present a health hazard.

The earliest known examples of pewter date to 1500 B.C. During the Roman Empire's occupation of England, pewter was smelted and molded from local tin mining. Following the Dark Ages, the popularity of pewter increased, as it became a replacement for household items that had been made out of clay, wood, and leather. As the number of craftsmen increased, the "Worshipful Company of Pewterers" strictly regulated the manufacture of pewter. London was the largest maker of pewter in the known world, and English pewter ware was of the finest quality.

Many pewterers emigrated from England during the colonial period and brought their skills with them to New England. England would only export finished goods to the new colonies, restricting the export of pure tin and taxing unworked pewter. Colonists would buy worn pewter at a fraction of its original cost, melt it down, and cast it as a new object. Pewter was still fairly expensive and a symbol of wealth; a dish or tankard could cost as much as a day's wages.

The alloys used at the time created a soft metal that was easily worn and dented, and had a low melting point. The life span of colonial pewter was about ten years. Toward the end of the 18^th century, a new alloy of tin, copper, and antimony was created and called Brittania. The antimony added durability to the metal, which could be molded or cast into thin sheets and stamped. The new alloy resembled silver more than pewter, except for the price.

In the 1880's, electroplating was introduced. A thin coating of silver could be applied to Brittania or other metal. As elctroplated wares became more desirable, pewterers began making silver plate or went out of business. The increasing availability of fine porcelain and pottery and mass production of glassware also led to the decline in the use of pewter.

Little early American pewter survives today, since much of it was melted down to be reworked, or used to manufacture musket balls during the War for Independence.