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Kinds of Pewter

Collectors of pewter know that it is a dull silvery metal which was used by the ancient Romans that became popular in the 17th century in Europe and America. It was used to make tableware, plates, mugs and pots of all kinds. Collectors also need to know about the components of the three main types of older pewter, as well as those of modern pewter.

What is pewter made of, anyway? It depends, since pewter is an alloy, or a mixture of metals. The primary element is always tin, but mixed in with the tin can be any number of other metals, including copper, bismuth, antimony and--in older pewter--very possibly a certain amount of lead. Bismuth and antimony are both metals that are common ingredients in alloys.

Fine Pewter
- Flatware was made from fine pewter.
  
  In the 18th century, if you were wealthy and could afford the best tableware, you would buy what was known as fine or plate pewter, so-called because it was used primarily to make plates, flatware, spoons and flacons. Fine pewter had the highest percentage of tin of all the pewters. It was at least 96 percent tin, with the remaining 4 percent usually being copper; however, one 19th century source states that fine pewter contained 112 pounds of tin to 6 or 7 pounds of "regulus of antimony."
Trifle Pewter
- Ale was often kept in trifle pewter containers.
  
  People who wanted to buy a decent quality pewter, but could not afford fine pewter, settled for what was known as trifle. Trifle pewter had a small amount of lead, but still was mostly made of tin and therefore was considered suitable for certain tableware such as drinking mugs or ale pots in pubs. It was made of 92 percent tin with a small amount of antimony. But it could also contain up to 4 percent lead.
Lay Pewter
- Lay pewter contained the highest amount of lead.
  
  If you had very little money to spend, you would have to settle for what was known as lay or ley pewter. Not surprisingly, it had the highest lead content of all the types of pewter. It could contain up to 15 percent lead, and was similar to what the ancient Romans called "black metal." Black metal was pewter that was only 70 percent tin and was an amazing 30 percent lead. When the Romans served acidic foods in black metal vessels, lead leached into the food. By the 18th and 19th centuries, lay pewter was not used for tableware as a rule, although sometimes wine pots were made of it.
Modern Pewter
- Modern pewter is often mixed with copper.
  
  If you are purchasing modern pewter, rest assured that it does not contain any lead. It is primarily made of tin (about 92 percent) mixed with copper, antimony or bismuth.

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