Expert: Martin G Roberts - 6/24/2008

Question
I have found a Towle Newburyport pewter mug given to my husband as a gift in early to mid-1970's.  The number 7642 is stamped on the bottom.  I have read stories of lead in pewter and am now worried that it may not be safe to drink beverages (beer, for example) from it.  Please advise.  Many thanks.

Answer
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I am not a medical expert, so the opinion given below is that of a specialist in antique base metals, not metal toxicity.

Modern pewter (which this is) will contain only trace quantities of lead. And remember people drank from vessels made of pewter containing varying amounts of lead for centuries, with no recorded problems. These days it would be inadvisable to offer drinks in very old pewter vessels to young children, but otherwise there is little reason to be concerned.

I am surrounded by old pewter, handle tens of pieces every day, clean and polish pieces, and sometimes work with molten pewter. So far as I am aware, I do not experience any ill-effects.

Martin
www.antique-metalware.co.uk