Pewter

Detail on a pewter fork handle from Norway, showing three scenes: King Olaf II Haraldsson (St. Olaf), his men, and a Viking ship

Pewter (/ˈpjuːtər/) is a malleable metal alloy consisting of tin (85–99%), antimony (approximately 5–10%), copper (2%), bismuth, and sometimes silver.[1] In the past it was an alloy of tin and lead, but most modern pewter, in order to prevent lead poisoning, is not made with lead. Pewter has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C (338–446 °F), depending on the exact mixture of metals.[2][3] The word pewter is possibly a variation of "spelter", a term for zinc alloys (originally a colloquial name for zinc).[4]

  1. ^ Richardson, Kathryn. "Pewter Casting Alloys". Northern Smelters.
  2. ^ "Pewter". Belmont Metals. 2 July 2021.
  3. ^ Campbell (2006), p. 207.
  4. ^ Skeat (1893), pp. 438–439.