Pewter is actually a term that covers Saint Hubertus a wide range of tin based alloys. Many people think of Pewter as a cheap substitute for Sterling silver but this it is not. This is probably because part of the metal is tin which is thought of as cheap. Pewter is a metal alloy consisting of mainly tin with some added copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. It has a low melting point making it easy to work with Patron Saint of Hunters Medal and it was first used around the beginning of the Bronze Age. The history of the metal is unknown to a point, the oldest piece was a flask found in an Egyptian tomb around 1400BC. It became popular for uses as tableware, cups and plates and was the main tableware material until porcelain was developed. In its early days it had 50% of tin and lead. This was well before the 1700’s and the realisations of the danger of lead poisoning. From the mid 1700’s a non-leaded form of pewter was produced.

Around the 16th century items started to be decorated with relief work through different methods such as chiselling etching or engraving. A change in fashion in the Saint Hubertus early 19th century saw a decline in the use of pewter flatware, but was often used as a base metal for silver plated items. Tankards and mugs are the most familiar pewter items but plates, spoons and dishes are also made of this material. Today numerous varieties of Pewter are produced but must be lead free when used for food vessels. The only common factor compared to older pewter is a relatively high tin content. Items made of Pewter are often found in churches and today the metal Saint Hubertus is still in use mainly for decorative or specialty items such as artefacts, statuettes, figurines, medals and pendants. Modern pewter must contain at least 90% tin and be alloyed with copper, antimony, or bismuth to be considered real pewter.

Pewter has long been popular in religious circles. Saint Hubertus The metal is popular for making attractive religious gifts for religious ceremonies such as Jewish, Shabbat, Christian baptism, christening and First Communion. The metal polishes up well and with very little care will last for years and years. The attraction of pewter is probably the feel of the mtal, the soft lines it creates and possible the touch marks. Personalised pewter tankards and pendants make great gifts to treasure for years to come.