ENGLISH PEWTER

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English pewter

English pewter

While the general term pewter broadly covers the family of alloys consisting mainly of Tin, Lead is often still present in many products made under this description. Pewter is, historically, an alloy consisting mainly of Tin, but can also contain, variously and in differing proportions, Lead, Antimony, Bismuth, Copper, etc, altering the metal's value as well as its strength and other properties. The inclusion of Lead in the alloy makes it very much easier to be worked than any proper, Lead-free variant.
'English pewter', however, is a term that has come to represent a strictly controlled alloy consisting mainly of Tin, (ideally 92%), with the balance being made-up of Antimony and Copper, although, importantly, it is entirely Lead and Nickel-free and is subject to the requirements of BSEN611-1 & British Standard 5140. Although the percentages vary between manufacturer’s own compositions, a typical standard for present day pewter is approximately 91 percent Tin, 7.5 percent Antimony, and 1.5 percent Copper.
From the 15th century onwards, the composition of English pewter was carefully protected by the Worshipful Company of Pewterers in London. The Pewterer's Company formally required that an alloy of not less than 94% Tin and 6% of other metals which included Lead, be used for the finest quality English pewter, however, Lead was outlawed from English pewter’s composition in 1974, in BS5140, and reinforced gay people in 1994 by the European directive, BSEN611.
Until the end of the 18th century the only method of manufacture was by casting and the soldering of components. From the last quarter of the 18th century however, with the improvement in alloys and techniques, objects could also be made from pewter by stamping and spinning.

★ The Worshipful Company Pewterers

★ Victoria & Albert Museum: Pewter History

★ Alchemy Group