Messages

1

Antique Questions Forum / Re: Testing metals.

« on: September 16, 2009, 02:46:56 pm »

I will not be able to download a photo tonight but i can tell you more. The piece is Osiris pewter, the piece i have is shown in a book but itself is unmarked. This could be due to over polishing, erasing of the mark which was common place with german pewter wares during the first world war (nobody wanted to show friends and family that their pieces were from the hun as it were) or weither the mark itself has a layer of chrome or silver filling in the Osiris stamp. Hence a test on the pewter may be needed.
Early 20th century decorative arts pewter could be polished up to resemble silver as I believe it had a resonable silver content.

Thank you for your reply it is nice to know people take the time to help others.

2

Antique Questions Forum / Testing metals.

« on: September 16, 2009, 09:13:45 am »

I have recently bought a lovely pewter dish from the turn of the century (1900). The dish is very highly polished and I wonder if there is any way to make sure 100% that it is actually pewter,  any home tests one can do without damaging the piece. It is so shiny that it reminds me of chrome.
Thank you for your help.