pewter questions

[John Gearing]

Hi all! I have a couple of questions about pewter and pewter-ware that I hope you can help me with.

First, I have a small mug that I believe is pewter (inherited it years ago). Does anyone recognize the following hallmarks? On the outside edge of the top, oppo the handle, there is a shield with a rising sun inside. Under the sun are the letters "E R" and under them the numeral "6". On the inside, bottom, there is a sun w/ rays atop a triange. There's an upside down "V" or maybe it's a lamda, inside the triangle.

Second, it has a heavy layer of "patina" aka oxidation (?) and I'd like to clean that off and polish the surface. Any suggestions on the best way to do that?

And lastly, I'm aware that some pieces of antique pewter used a pewter alloy containing lead. Is there a simple test I can apply to see if this, or any other pieces I may collect, have lead? And what foods or beverages should I NOT serve in pewter pieces? I'm assuming that acidic substances (e.g. orange juice) are a no-no. Anything else?

Thanks in advance!

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

If it has darkened, it probably has lead in it.

this (http://www.pewter.co.uk/pewter.html) may be of some help.

You can polish pewter, but it is very soft and scratches readily.

[Donn]

The marks questions may require a bunch of research. Antique pewter can have so many different kinds of marks stamped on it it'll make your head spin. In addition to several different kinds of pewterer's marks (hallmarks, touch marks, catalog number, quality marks, labels), you'll also find merchant's marks, capacity marks, owner's marks, and on and on. There are many books on the marks, and ID'ing a less than well-known mark can be a real frustration.

You can buy pewter cleaner/polish (but pewter really isn't supposed to shine like silver). Dissolve a roughly equal amount of salt into vinegar, and thicken it with flour for a homemade paste cleaner.

You can buy lead test kits everywhere. Here's (http://www.leadinspector.com/product/) one online.

[ 04-04-2005, 11:15 AM: Message edited by: Donn ]