# How to identify markings on antique pewter

#### by Graham Rix / in Hobbies

An alloy of tin and copper or lead, pewter was a staple of domestic wares for five centuries--from the 1300s until the 1830s. Use for everything from tankards and cutlery to candlesticks, it went out of fashion with the introduction of mechanised silver-plating, only to be revived by the handicraft-oriented Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements of the last quarter of the 19th century.

- An alloy of tin and copper or lead, pewter was a staple of domestic wares for five centuries--from the 1300s until the 1830s.

Examine the outer rim of very old pewter plates and the handles of old ale-pots and tankards. Look for impressed initials -- the "touch mark" or stamp of a registered pewterer.

Scour the base for other markings. On early pieces you might find an X or the word "superfine"--both indications of best quality pewter.

Check for a maker's mark on later pieces, especially those with a strong, commercial design. In particular, look for the names Liberty's and W.M.F.

#### TIP

Largely designed by Archibald Knox, Liberty's pewter was distinguished by its hand-planished (that is, hand-hammered) finish--an effect actually produced by machine--and by its use of coloured enamels. W.M.F.

#### WARNING

As well as Tudric pewter, Liberty's also sold a range of silverware under the brand-name Cymric. Don't confuse the two, because Cymric is rather more valuable than Tudric.

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