Pewter Figurines

[beechbum444]

I found two pewter candle holders and a figurine…has anyone had luck with these figurines being all pewter or an alloy containing pewter ????

[Winger Ed.]

There's some fake stuff out there, but real pewter will have detailed little hallmark stampings on the back and they melt down easily.

[kevin c]

Figurines I found were marked pewter; if not I looked up the manufacturers on my phone to check. I also took chances on items I couldn’t confirm if they have a lot of the characteristics of pewter and so far I’ve had really good luck. I’ve also read that some pewter alloys used in non food service items may have lower tin content and can contain lead.

Pewter candlestick holders that are period reproductions (the ones dull gray in color and having a finger ring handle and attached dish) are solid pewter in my experience. The bright, silver colored candlesticks and candelabras with the round inverted cup shaped bases usually have a filler in the bottom with only thin sheet pewter over it; deceptive weight wise and a nasty mess if melted.

[dondiego]

The pewter figurines that I have encountered in resale shops were priced so high that they were not acceptable to me. I did notice that they were selling Monopoly pieces as pewter too! I almost bought the Tophat!

[William Yanda]

Sure have. Be aware that weighted candle holders may be filled with plaster of paris or resin which melts, stinks and is a nuisance to deal with.

[imashooter2]

Have you looked at the sticky thread? Several posts regards figurines are in there.

[Sasquatch-1]

Look for pewter at yard sales and flea markets. Look for things like goblets and plaques that may have been awarded to someone. Don't be afraid to make an offer. I went to a flea market once and made an offer for some pewter the guy had on the table. The next thing I know his wife pulls out a medium size moving box full and tells me I can have all of it for the price I offered.

[rustyshooter]

Look for pewter at yard sales and flea markets. Look for things like goblets and plaques that may have been awarded to someone. Don't be afraid to make an offer. I went to a flea market once and made an offer for some pewter the guy had on the table. The next thing I know his wife pulls out a medium size moving box full and tells me I can have all of it for the price I offered.

I have had good luck estimating the weight of all the pewter in front of me and offering $6 per pound.

[kevin c]

I just melted down some figurines from a company that describes them as “pewter”: the XRF on the batch came back only 26.6% tin, along with 66.3% lead, 6.5% antimony and 0.6% copper.

A separate batch of food service pewter analyzed at the same time came in at the expected 92% tin, other batches of mostly food service pewter done previously were in the same ballpark, and one lot of non food service stuff and other figurines was low in tin, high in lead.

Just about all the pewter batches I’ve processed have XRFs showing a bit of lead, which replaces some of the tin. I took pains to segregate all the processing and sampling equipment for lead versus pewter, and the lead is still there, maybe because I included nominally “food service”, though clearly decorative, designs in with the real food service items when melting.

So figurines, at least the ones I’ve tested, are relatively low in tin and high in lead, while decorative food service pewter items may contain slightly lower tin and small amounts of lead compared to real food service pewter batches (in the end, though, for our use, it doesn’t matter).