Originally Posted by
jsizemore
So this is the deal about english pewter:
By the 15th century, the Worshipful Company of Pewterers controlled pewter constituents in England. This company originally had two grades of pewter, but in the 16th century a third grade was added. The first type, known as "fine metal", was used for tableware. It consisted of tin with as much copper as it could absorb, which is about 1%. The second type, known as "trifling metal" or "trifle", was used for holloware. It is made up of fine metal with approximately 4% lead. The last type of pewter, known as "lay" or "ley" metal, was used for items that were not in contact with food or drink. It consisted of tin with 15% lead. These three alloys were used, with little variation, until the 20th century.[1]
Lead was removed from the composition in 1974, by BS5140, reinforced by the European directive BSEN611 in 1994
The American Pewter Guild lobbied congress to ban lead in pewter and laws were passed in 1960. Sorry I don't have the legislation for you to read.
I've bought post WW2 pewter from SE Asia that has some of the highest tin content anywhere with only 1% copper for hardness. And I've bought thrift shop modern pewter made in Hong Kong that was 15-20% lead. No caulk or seal in the glass bottom to keep the mug from leaking. So not for food service and would be intended for display only. Other lots had no lead.
I hope this clears up things.