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Britannia Metal History

Britannia metal is also a type of pewter which at first sight might be mistaken with the authentic pewter, but there are some characteristics that differentiate Britannia metal from pewter.
In addition, you can start the home decoration actions by finding the best antique pewter articles and collectables that will match your home furniture and home design, whether the items are manufactured from Britannia metal or the classic pewter alloy.

Until the middle of the 17th century, pewter was highly used by small groups of experiences workers in small towns, rural communities and small workshops to create various pewter objects through the casting process.
The casting pieces were then soldered together in order to make the joins vanish during the spinning process where a spinning lathe was the main tool.
Finally, the pewter objected were polished by hand and ready for use.

The legends says that somewhere around 1769 a person was taken to MR Vickers, a known experienced worker, telling him the solution to create while metal.

For many years, the pewter alloy was created by combining tin with lead and other metals. This combination made the pewter alloy more malleable but since 1769 James Vickers discovered that by adding a small amount of antimony the mixture resulted ca be transformed into a sheet of metal.
This was an important step in the pewter industry since the mixture resulted in sheets could be easily cut and shaped either by hand or with a spun on wooden former. These pieces were much more easily to be soldered and this was an affordable and productive version for traditional pewter.

Towards the end of the 17th century, the pewter industrial revolution had started and power machineries were used in factories instead of small units in the workshop.
In the early years of the 18th century the pewter factories gained market recognition and became famous due to their great pewter objects with low costs and affordable selling prices. The modern methods were far more productive and efficient then the traditional methods.

Most early pewter collectors at the beginning of the 19th century considered themselves as an eccentric group of gentlemen. Even if the discovery of Britannia metal took place some centuries before their time those objects were not properly appreciated.
Therefore, the best antique pewter items they could collect were those manufactured before the 1750’s. However, during the 19th century there were still some pewterers producing the cast pewter using the old traditional methods.

Still, the people who had the opportunity to work in such pewter factories were able to prove their talent and improve their skills. They were able to create new designs and continue using the modern techniques outside of the factory as well.

The antique pewter articles produced during the 18th and 19th centuries in these factories are today in good condition and offered for great prices. Back then, a mass production of pewter items was created and today you can find available for sale many of the old pewter items.

Soon, almost all objects were manufactured using the Britannia pewter metal which ensured a great look, a brighter surface and great designs. In addition, the antique pewter articles are great pewter collectables which can be used for home decoration and home design.

This is the history of Britannia metal pewter starting from its origin in 1769 until our days.