Modern pewter, such as you might find in your kitchen, is primarily tin, alloyed with antimony and copper. The usual mixture is 91% tin, 7.5% antimony and 1.5% copper.

Long ago, pewter was made with lead, which contributed to lead poisoning in the populus, but this practice has long since passed out of use. Modern pewter is lead-free.

Be sure to care for your pewter properly.

References:
http://www.shirleypewter.com/history.html

Pew"ter (?), n. [OE. pewtyr, OF. peutre, peautre, piautre: cf. D. peauter, piauter, It. peltro, Sp. & Pg. peltre, LL. peutreum, pestrum. Cf. Spelter.]

1.

A hard, tough, but easily fusible, alloy, originally consisting of tin with a little lead, but afterwards modified by the addition of copper, antimony, or bismuth.

2.

Utensils or vessels made of pewter, as dishes, porringers, drinking vessels, tankards, pots.

Pewter was formerly much used for domestic utensils. Inferior sorts contain a large proportion of lead.

 

© Webster 1913.

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