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Pewterers' Marks
Pewterers' marks fall into five broad categories: touch marks, hallmarks, quality marks, labels and catalogue numbers. Below is an example of the marks of a pewterer who used four of these five types of marks (touch mark, hallmark, quality mark and a label).
For most pewter, the best guide to pewterers' marks is Cotterell's Old Pewter: It's Makers and Marks. However, it is not complete as many more marks have been recorded since it was written, and some of the information in the book is now known to be incorrect.
For wares made in Sheffield of Britannia metal, Scott's Pewter Wares from Sheffield, has a comprehensive list of pewterers' marks.
Touch marks
A touch mark is a pewterer's "trade mark" and often, but not always, includes the name or initials of the pewterer. In London and Edinburgh pewterers had to record their touch marks on special plates, and we know the names of most of those who did so. However, that practice was not followed elsewhere, and so whilst thousands of touch marks have been recorded, we do not always know the pewterers to whom they belong.
Touch marks vary considerably in style and size. If a touch mark includes a date, this is the date on which the pewterer set up in business, not the date on which the article was made.
Unidentified
16th century
James Abernethie
of Edinburgh
1640 - ?
Elizabeth Witter
of London
1691 - ?
Stynt Duncumb
of Bewdley
c1740 - 1767
Munster Iron Company
of Cork
1870 - 1894
Pseudo-hallmarks
When brand new and highly polished, pewter looks very much like silver, and many pewterers stamped pseudo-hallmarks on their wares to mimic the hallmarks on silver. Whilst hallmarks on pewter can help identify the pewterer, they have no "official" significance, unlike hallmarks on silver. There are normally four hallmarks, but pewterers from Wigan often used five, whilst very occasionally other pewterers used just three. The hallmarks often include the pewterer's initials. Sometimes all four hallmarks are the same.
James Trew of London
1673 - c1680
Townsend & Compton of London
1784 - 1802
Quality marks
The crowned rose was used on pewter from the mid 16th century to denote quality. Most pewterers had their own variation of the design. Later, pewterers also used a crowned X to indicate that the metal was of a certain standard, but by the 18th century all control over the use of the mark was lost and pewterers were using it indiscriminately.
Before the introduction of the crowned rose, a crowned or uncrowned hammer was sometimes struck on sadware and this is also believed to be a quality mark. However, it is very rare.
John Barlow of London
1699 - ?
crowned X
Labels
In the 18th and 19th centuries many pewterers put various labels on their wares. Some were essentially advertising slogans, such as "Superfine Hard Metal" to promote the idea that the goods were of a superior quality. Others such as "Made in London" identified where the pewter was supposedly made, but be warned: this description was applied not only by London pewterers but also by many provincial pewterers, and indeed even by some on mainland Europe. This is because traditionally London pewter was considered to be superior.
Robert Porteus of London
1762 - ?
Birch & Villers of Birmingham
late 18th century
George Holmes of London
1743 - ?
Catalogue numbers
In the 19th and 20th century pewterers often produced catalogues of their wares and put the catalogue numbers on the articles themselves. They are normally simple stamped numbers of three, four or five digits, sometimes with a letter as well. They are most common on wares made of Britannia metal.