armati wrote:I really dont know pewters well.
Traditional pewter was an alloy which combined tin and lead in a variety of ratios from about 97% tin/ 3% lead all the way up to about 50/50. Generally, the more lead the cheaper, so conversely the low-lead alloys were considered better. It's one of the earliest alloys known -- the first pewter implements have been found in Egyptian tombs more than 3,500 years old.
In the 15th century, medieval guilds began regulating the alloy. King Edward's rules from 1474 give the following:
- Fine pewter must contain 91 to 97% tin and was the kind used for eating implements.
- Lay pewter may contain between 84 and 90% tin and was used for cauldrons and such things.
- Trifling pewter was any pewter containing more 16% lead and could be used only for trinkets and toys.
In the 18th century, people started to understand how profoundly toxic lead is. The search began for other metals to replace the lead in pewter implements. Antimony was by far the most common lead substitute, with copper also commonly used. The most common of that time period is known as Standard Brittannia. It is a blend of 92% tin, 6% antimony, and 2% copper.
Since then, various smelters have experimented with nickel, zinc, and silver additives. Since 1980, bismuth has become a popular, either instead of or in addition to the antimony.
Modern pewter contains no lead whatsoever. Since 1974, lead in pewter has been banned worldwide, but most smelters stopped using it long before then. If you have an antique piece from before 1760, it definitely contains lead. If you have a modern piece from after 1974, it definitely does not. If you have something between those extremes (newer than 1760 but older than 1974) it might or might not.
Nope, he is taller though.
