Avoid anything marked Armatale, and Pewteret. If its not smooth on the bottom of the piece...I am hesitant to purchase it. Some has aluminum, bismuth, silver and zinc mixed in the metal. Bismuth might be ok...but we don't want the others.
Anything marked as Pewter, Zinn, etain are good...many have a number in a shield hallmark too...thats the Tin content...Most is 95 or 92 being the percent of Tin in the piece.
redhawk