Description
A silvery gray alloy of tin mixed with another metal, such as antimony, copper, or lead. Pewter was first product in the 3rd century. Common pewter in antiquity contained 60-80% tin and 40-20% lead while modern pewter contains 65-94% tin, 3-30% copper, 5-10% antimony and/or less than 10% lead, zinc, or bismuth. The highest grade of pewter contains a large proportion of tin with a small amount of copper. Black metal was the name for a low grade of pewter that contained up to 50% lead mixed with the tin. Pewter was commonly used from the Middle Ages through the mid-19th century for tableware, cups, utensils, and pans. It is still made for specialty items because it is easy to stamp, roll or cast.
Synonyms and Related Terms
black metal; antique silver; beker (Ned.); étain durci (Fr.); Hartzinn (Deut.); peltro (It.); peltre (Port., Esp.); tenn (Sven.)
Hazards and Safety
May contain lead. (Darker pewters contain more lead)
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Last updated on: 10/22/2008 11:25:57 AM
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