Pewterers’ Marks
- Touch marks. A touch mark is a pewterer’s “trade mark” and often, but not always, includes the name or initials of the pewterer.
- Pseudo-hallmarks. When brand new and highly polished, pewter looks very much like silver, and many pewterers stamped pseudo-hallmarks on their wares to mimic the hallmarks on silver.
- Quality marks. ...
- Catalogue numbers. ...
What do the marks on a pewter mean?
If marks are present, they can help in identifying when and where the item was made or used. Whereas the marks on silver and gold have always been tightly controlled, there was very little control over the marks used by pewterers. As a result, they vary widely in form and significance. They fall into five broad categories:
Are there any 17th century Pewterers with hallmarks?
For the few 17th century American pewterers that have been identified, hallmarks are the only marks that have been found. John Baker Boston, MA, 1674 - 96 David Melville Newport, RI, 1776 - 93
How do you identify a pewter maker?
Identifying the pewterer There was no central register of pewterers or their marks, so identifying the pewterers and the marks they used is only possible as a result of decades of research, a process that is still ongoing. The Pewter Society database of British & Irish makers and their marks is the most comprehensive source of information.
Does pewter really look like silver?
When brand new and highly polished, pewter looks very much like silver, and many pewterers stamped pseudo-hallmarks on their wares to mimic the officially-approved hallmarks on silver. They can’t have been trying to deceive their customers as they would have known perfectly well what they were buying.
How do you identify pewter marks?
Because pewter is a soft metal, marks can often get very worn, but even if a touch is too worn to identify, you might nevertheless be able to identify the pewterer from other marks that are present....Types of mark'touch marks', often including the pewterer's name or initials.pseudo-hallmarks.quality marks.labels.numbers.
What number is pewter?
The hex code for pewter is #E9EAEC.
How do you value pewter?
Pewter is a metal alloy of tin and lead, but it's mostly composed of tin. Tin prices generally fluctuate between $7 and $11 per pound. When selling for scrap, you can expect to get roughly 50% of the current price – so scrap pewter, therefore, is generally worth around $3 to $5 per pound at a scrap yard.
What are touch marks on pewter?
Touch marks vary considerably in style and size, and by the 19th century they had often become just a simple name stamp. If a touch mark includes a date, this is the date on which the pewterer set up in business, not the date on which the article was made.
What does RWP mean on pewter?
Vintage Wilton Armetale Pewter Water or Wine Goblet Plough Tavern RWP USA Drinkware. Ad by Etsy seller Ad from Etsy seller dervintage.
Will a magnet stick to pewter?
Pewter is not magnetic. None of the elements found in the alloy are magnetic, regardless of whether or not pewter contains lead. Magnetism may be used to distinguish pewter from iron-based alloys, but not from gold, silver, sterling silver, or platinum (all non-magnetic).
What is antique pewter?
Pewter is a metal alloy and is composed predominantly of tin. The alloy can also be mixed with copper, antimony, bismuth, silver or lead. It was first used by the Egyptians and later the Romans.
Is pewter worth more than silver?
Affordability: Since pewter contains mostly tin, typically along with traces of copper, antimony, or other harder metals, the alloy certainly costs less than gold, platinum, and even silver. Most pewter jewelry and other products are valued for their beauty and workmanship more than for the cost of the metal.
Is pewter a precious metal?
Pewter is a precious metal, just not as precious as platinum, gold or silver. It is the 4th most popular metal that is used for jewelry making, so basically the term fine-precious metal is more exact.
What does 92 mean on pewter?
tinIt consists of five symbols with the following meaning: ARW – the initials of our founder, Arthur Richard Wentworth, who founded the company in 1949. 92 – the minimum percentage of tin, the fourth most precious metal. EPU – our European Pewter Union membership. ABPC – the Association of British Pewter Craftsmen mark.
What does VR mean on pewter?
Verification marks A verification mark signifies that the measure has been inspected by an official Weights & Measures Inspector and found to be of the correct capacity.
How do you date English pewter?
Numbers placed on pewter during manufacture may be three-four-or-five-digit catalog numbers. In the case of a four-digit number, it is probably a catalog number rather than a date or when date numbers are used the date may not indicate the year the piece was made but rather the year the pewterer began business.
What are the marks on American pewter?
Marks on American Pewter. American pewter may carry one or more of the following types of marks: Pewterers' Marks, Verification Marks, Ownership Marks, and Merchants’ Marks.
How many pewter pieces are never marked?
An Introduction to Pewter Marks. It has been estimated that one third of American pewter pieces were never marked. Nevertheless, the experienced collector will know by certain design features, details of workmanship, and characteristics of the alloy that some pieces are, or are not, American. The new collector, however, must depend ...
What does the crowned rose mean on pewter?
The crowned rose was used in England on pewter from the mid 16th century to denote quality. When used in this country it was most often incorporated into the pewterer's touch mark along with his name. The crowned "X" mark was also used by some American pewterers to "imply" quality. None of these quality marks had any regulatory standing or enforcement.
Why are verification marks on pewter rare?
Verification marks on American pewter are rare because American made measures are rare with the exception of the 19th century measures made by the Boardmans of Hartford, CT. American verification marks, however, can be found on English export baluster measures.
Why are hallmarks called pseudo-hallmarks?
Sometimes called pseudo-hallmarks because they resemble the hallmarks found on silver, these marks often were used with the larger touchmarks or in place of them. For the few 17th century American pewterers that have been identified, hallmarks are the only marks that have been found.
What is a touch mark?
Touch Marks. A touch mark is a pewterer's "trade mark" and in American pewter almost always includes the name or initials of the pewterer. Unlike in London and Edinburgh where guilds regulated the trade, there were no American touch plates where the touch marks of pewterers were recorded. Touch marks vary in both size and style ...
When was the last volume of Pewter in America published?
However the last volume was published in 1971. Discoveries since 1971 have been published in the PCCA Bulletin, published twice a year. Other sources for drawings of most ...
What is hallmark pewter?
There are also many themes to choose from within this Hallmark pewter collection as well. There are a variety of pewter collectible plates that will enhance any collection of plates. These plates are engraved with a variety of different themes and pictures.
What are the characters in the hallmark pewter ornaments?
Hallmark Pewter Ornaments. The Hallmark line of pewter ornaments feature many well known movie and cartoon characters. Among them are the Peanuts gang. Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Linus, and Lucy are among the many options.
What does the London mark on a pewter piece mean?
London pewter was considered to be superior pewter of very high quality, and so the London mark was commonly pirated by provincial pewterers and even by pewterers throughout Europe and in America.
What is the best quality of pewter?
The best quality pewter is that which has a high proportion of tin. Thanks for watching! Pewter was made and used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese. The “London” stamp in the serrated rectangle is known as a “label”. This mark tells us that this bowl is indeed pewter rather than silver.
Why do pewter pieces have touch marks?
Many touch marks are often partially or almost totally worn. This is a result of much use and because pewter is a soft metal. It was not uncommon for pewterers to buy completed unmarked wares wholesale. With the pieces in hand they would stamp their own maker’s mark.
Why do pewter bowls have X marks?
Your pewter bowl also bears a crown over an X mark, which came into use during the late seventeenth century to indicate the hardness of the alloy. During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, this mark was used indiscriminately by many pewterers and no longer signified quality.
What is the mark on a bowl?
Another mark on your bowl is a crown over initials and what appear to be two birds. English pewter made after 1877 was often marked with an excise mark consisting of a crown over the initials of the ruling monarch and a code number. Unfortunately, the initials in the crown mark on your pewter are quite worn.
How many digits are in a pewter catalog?
Numbers placed on pewter during manufacture may be three-four-or-five-digit catalog numbers. In the case of a four-digit number, it is probably a catalog number rather than a date or when date numbers are used the date may not indicate the year the piece was made but rather the year the pewterer began business.
What is a pewter bowl?
Pewter is an alloy principally composed of tin but also containing lead, zinc, bismuth, copper, and antimony. The best quality pewter is that which has a high proportion of tin. pinterest-pin-it.
How many hallmarks are there on pewter?
Whilst hallmarks on pewter have no official significance, they can help identify the pewterer. There are normally four hallmarks , but pewterers from Wigan often used five, whilst very occasionally other pewterers used two, three or six. The hallmarks often include the pewterer’s initials. Sometimes all the hallmarks are the same.
What is a pseudo hallmark?
When brand new and highly polished, pewter looks very much like silver, and many pewterers stamped pseudo-hallmarks on their wares to mimic the officially-approved hallmarks on silver.
When were hallmarks used?
Hallmarks were not used prior to about 1630. With plates, dishes and chargers the position of the hallmarks can help with dating. They were normally on the front of the rim up to about 1730, and thereafter on the back of the well.
