Pewter Trivia

The eight-inch-plate era lasted from 1750 to 1825 in America. During those years, undecorated plates measuring eight inches in diameter were made. The coffeepot era was from 1825 to 1850. During that time, pewter was made in shapes that imitated the shapes of silver pieces. Sadware refers to heavy pieces of pewter, like plates and […]

Shape Variations

The characteristic shapes of silver or porcelain teapots and bowls are almost identical to those made of pewter. There are two exceptions. The pewter coffeepot changed shape from small to large, from round to pear-shape, then to the inverted pear. Then came the famous pewter shape called the “lighthouse.” The lighthouse pot was a mid-nineteenth-century […]

Marks On Pewter

Marks on pewter are called touchmarks. There are general rules about pewter marks, but they are only 75 percent accurate: The thistle mark is found on Scottish pewter, while French makers from Paris used an angel with the word “Paris.” Other French pewter may be marked with a fleur-de-lis. Pewter from England, France, the Low […]

Britannia

Experts give various explanations of the difference between Britannia and pewter. Actually, there is no difference. Pewter and Britannia were both used to make an everyday ware that resembled silver. Pewter was the first name used for the metal. Most of the early pieces were made by hand. When the sale of pewter began slowing […]