New to Pewter! Tips and pointers?

Spartcom5 · Sep 19, 2016

Hey guys picked up this old looking pewter sugar and creamer set. I know nothing about pewter except for the fact some pieces are collectible and valuable. These are definitely far from that however they were $4.99 for the set and I thought why not! How old do you think these are? 1940s? Earlier? I'm trying to learn about pewter and I know at least Flintlock collects pewter here! Looking forward to hearing from anyone who knows more about this stuff than I do! Finally how do you polish pewter? Can you use silver polish or absolutely not haha?

JimDon · Sep 19, 2016

The only luck I have had with pewter is Steiff Colonial Williamsburg items.

kcm · Sep 19, 2016

For something like that, I'd probably try my tried and true metals polish:
https://www.amazon.com/Nevr-dull-Magic-Wadding-Polish-Oz/dp/B000QGZXCS?tag=treasurenet01-20

This stuff is absolutely amazing! A thickish, black liquid will form when using this on metal. This is normal. Simply wipe with a clean cloth. Keep in mind, it's the black that IS the polish. Funny how the cotton wadding isn't black! :dontknow:

captain flintlock · Sep 19, 2016

What I look for for pewter are older makers marks. Anything marked genuine pewter or what ever other metal is pretty much a modern piece. Older 17th- 19th century pieces are also a bit softer ( for the lack of a better word), than newer contemporary pieces due to the higher lead content. Most antique pewter will usually be English or American. Some French and Austrian pieces are out there as well. One of the best way to learn about old pewter is to go to an antique shop and just pick up and handle the old stuff and really get a feel for it. Check out the makers marks and various styles. Marks on pewter are like those on sterling and early coin silver. There are MANY of them!! Cleaning them is up to you. I tend to leave the grungy ones grungy. I'll try to post a couple pics of some of my pieces later this evening. Good luck on your pewter hunt.

captain flintlock · Sep 20, 2016

Here are a couple of pics of a pewter pitcher and large charger. The pitcher is French and the charger is American. It also has a piece broken off of the rim probably from being dropped once in its lifetime.