Pewter pictures and hallmarks...

[imashooter2]

Odd that they put the acid etch over the formed area. All I could really make out was the ATC guild mark.

[benellinut]

I'm new to pewter picking and as green as it can get but I did find this at a thrift store yesterday for a buck. Sure looks like it's silver plated, there are a few spots on the inside where the silver is gone and I can see grey under, it's sure soft like pewter.



Also found a glass bottom pewter mug and a couple small candle sticks that were both marked "pewter", again those were soft so I knew they were pewter, the mug was a buck and another buck for the two candle sticks.

[308Jeff]

Nice finds, especially for the price!

[benellinut]

Nice finds, especially for the price!

I was happy for my first time out, couldn't get to the cash out fast enough. But I got have way home and realized I never looked at any picture frames or the nic nack section for figurines. Oh well, next time, it was a good start.

[jsizemore]

You did great for the first time out. Finding the real thing early on improves your pewter IQ. I'd suggest "playing" with it so you get the feel for it. That will help you when you find the pieces that have been dragged behind the truck and don't have a readable touchmark. I went about a year where those pieces made up about 50% of what I found. Most ley pewter doesn't have a touchmark.

[Krieger82]

Ok boys, I need assistance here. I know for a fact these are pewter, but they are ancient (19th century most likely). I am loathe to melt stuff this old down, just in case it is worth more than its weight in Tin. Anyone know what they are? Pretty sure they are all French, and they appear to be a measuring cup set. Are they famous makers? Also an oddity, one had the front buffed off ages ago and someone stenciled Karl Wolff 1914. 1915. onto it with a wreathed Iron Cross (The infamous Karl Wolff would have been 13 or 14 at the time, so that origin would be doubtful) Any help here would be greatly appreciated. There was also a cool declaration of independence glass bottom pewter mug in the find that I cant bring myself to smelt, will probably ebay that one. Thanks in advance.

[imashooter2]

They look like tavern standard measures. Pictures 5, 6 and 10 show what looks like a 20th century mark. The others could be older. As a first for me, I'll say caution might be advised.

[benellinut]

If it was me, I'd put em up on ebay with a reserve for the lowest price your comfortable with and see what happens, collectors know what they want and what stuff is worth, get two bidding against each other and you might be surprised, if not melt em!

I hit the thrift stores again today, I found a lot of stuff made to look like pewter, one of those Wilton pieces, had the look but I could tell it wasn't pewter. I was about to give up but on my last stop I scored a heavy pewter vase today at a thrift store for $3, it was marked Thailand, Giam Pewter but I wasn't sure if it was true pewter, it was thick and hard to bend and someone had peeled the price tag back to look at the marking and didn't buy it so gave me more doubt, I took a chance. When I got home I shaved a curl off and used my soldering station to test the melting point, it's pewter, good deal, this thing is heavy.

[308Jeff]

Found another Jefferson Cup. This one has an interesting inscription.

[imashooter2]

That would be a good conversation piece if you aren't hard up for the tin. Nice find!

[308Jeff]

Yeah I might hold onto this one. . Thanks!

[benellinut]

You guys who hit the thrift stores on a regular basis, what's the average time frame's between scoring pewter? I made a stop by two stores I hit two weeks ago and had scored then, came up with nothing today. I may have competition around here, I found three newly stocked pieces that made me flip them over and look for pewter marks, two of those someone had pealed back the stickers to look at the markings. It doesn't mean they are caster's, they could be flipper's, antique store owners or people looking to flip stuff on ebay, either way if pewter is on their list it's going to make it harder for me. I think I need to become friends with the folks who work in these thrift stores, see if I can find out what days the restock and maybe get them to hold anything that looks like pewter items for me.

Now that it's getting warm enough here, the garage sales and flee markets will start, looking forward to hitting them soon. Being retired, I'll have the early bird advantage.

This pewter hunting is fun!

[imashooter2]

It has always been completely random. It's there when it's there.

I would wager that real pewter priced right doesn't stay on the shelf long. When I was very actively searching 4-5 years ago, I would hit the thrift stores 3 times a week on the way home from work, and the yard sales Saturday. That might sound like a lot, but the thrift store visits took less than 5 minutes to park, scan the "housewares" area and move on.

[308Jeff]

There are five or six stores in my area that I hit about twice a week. I'd say I find pewter maybe every third or fourth visit, and half the time it's too overpriced to buy. I have also noticed the peeled back stickers form the competition.

[imashooter2]

Yes, stickers over the hallmarks seems universal. What is it about the donkey clerks at those places that they always cover up the marks that will sell the item?

[benellinut]

I'm hoping to find answers so I can get smelting and hopefully, finally, drop some boolits this summer.

During my last pewter hunt last week I picked up a couple silver plate items that were not marked pewter but were both very soft. On one the silver plate was worn to the base metal and I could see the pewter color, the other was marked Wallace E.P.W.M, I shaved curls off these and tested the melting point, it was right around 430F with my soldering station.

Researching I found E.P.B.M stands for electroplate on britannia metal and E.P.W.M stands for electroplate on white metal. Most of you probably know what britannia metal is a form of pewter and white metal is very similar, from rotometals page for their britannia, https://www.rotometals.com/alloy-ac-...-cu-britannia/
This is alloy is consistent with old fashion English pewter (Britannia 8) or Britannia Pewter International standard for lead free pewter. Also know as Britannia Alloy, the AC Casting Pewter alloy is an an excellent casting pewter that contains approximately 92% Tin, 7.75% Antimony and .25% Copper. Britannia metal has been used for making various utensils, including teapots, jugs, drinking vessels, candlesticks, and urns, and for official maces. Britannia metal is harder, stronger, and easier to work than other tin alloys; it can be worked from sheets, like silver, or spun on a lathe. The alloy is first mentioned in 1769, as “Vickers White Metal,” but it was during the 19th century that the advantages of britannia metal were appreciated.

So it looks like E.P.B.M and E.P.W.M could also be used for a source of tin but they have slightly different ratios of tin, antimony and copper then modern pewter. What I'm confused about, how important is the percentages when we use pewter in our mix? Should I smelt my pewter marked pieces separate from the britanna and white metal or doesn't the percentages of these alloy's matter enough to worry about, just smelt it all together?

[imashooter2]

7.75% of 2% pewter added to an alloy would be 0.155% of the total alloy. I ignore those small numbers and consider pewter as pure tin.

I'd melt it all together and move on.

[benellinut]

7.75% of 2% pewter added to an alloy would be 0.155% of the total alloy. I ignore those small numbers and consider pewter as pure tin.

I'd melt it all together and move on.

That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure before it goes in the pot. Thank You Sir!

[308Jeff]

Picked up a couple of larger pieces at Goodwill a couple of days ago. $4.98 for 1.9 lbs.

[leebuilder]

Nice.
Good haul.