Treasures found when looking for pewter

[kevin c]

Nueces5:

I've never seen confirmed pewter crack like that item.

Scattered in that huge thread referenced above (at 20 posts per page, 74 pages is still a lot to look at. Fortunately it's my favorite kind of reading - lots of pictures!) are useful hints on the physical characteristics of unmarked pewter. A lot of the thread shows various touch marks that confirm that the pictured item actually is pewter (because, like, it's says so right on the bottom), useful for the unmarked items because you can get a sense from the pictures of the real thing what form a lot of pewter takes. So if you have an unmarked piece with both the right physical characteristics and a typical shape, it's a good bet (but not a sure thing) that it is pewter. If doesn't have the characteristics and isn't a common pewter form, the chances are much lower that you want it for your casting pot.

[jsizemore]

I found a Lortone tumbler for 25 cents while looking for pewter.

[rondog]

I've found a few goodies in thrift stores, I really need to make it more of a habit. Working nights really slows down doing things like that though.

[Tripplebeards]

I found this Hoppe’s No9 cork type bottle today at the Salvation Army for sixty nine cents while pewter scrounging. I did buy two pewter candle sticks for ninety nine cents each and two set of four in the original boxes of Royal Holland pewter napkin holders for $1.99 each as well.

[Traffer]

Yesterday while looking for pewter I came across that looked to be POSSIBLY a bar of silver. It was $1.49 with a half price sticker= 75 cents. So I thought I would take a chance. So far it has passed these tests:
Not magnetic BUT a magnet slides down it very slowly (I saw that test on the internet...it's interesting)
Put an ice cube on it and it melts VERY quickly.
I scraped though what appears to be a rhodium plating over copper plating and got to the core metal...It does not melt at 600° like tin or lead. It has a saying by Thomas Jefferson which says: "I am a great believer in luck and find that the harder I work the more of it I have".
It weighs 5.5 OZ Will take and post pictures later.

[dbosman]

I'm a reg Goodwill gawker & always wonder how to verify pewter or tin if the wares don't have any markings...

No hallmark = not pewter.
IF you find a very old, very detailed, sculptured piece that looks like pewter it might be worth looking up. I don't have a phone but my son goes with me and he does. We can check in a few seconds.

[dbosman]

Hi, I see you know a lot, it's hard for me to risk buying since I don't know anything about pewter
I was searching on a local page, and found this
https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar...-x-23-alto-_JM
Do you think it is worth buying? in exchange they are 4 dollars for something less than 200 grams

That doesn't look like pewter, to me. If it is, it's collectable for someone who collects heirlooms. I say pass. Pewter deals will all be well under $10 a pound. If you want $5. a pound pewter, plus shipping, drop me a note.

[Traffer]

Here are some pictures of the bar I got at Goodwill. I carved and abraded the end exposing a copper plating under the top plate of very shiny metal. Under the copper is a more whitish shiny metal. Silver? Going to have to take it to a jeweler to check (or maybe a pawn shop)

[William Yanda]

Slugster, I'll bet you find that those glass bottomed mugs weigh between 10 and 14 ounces each. Nice find. I have 3 in my stash to melt currently.