William Lipovsky
Short Answer — Pewter is generally worth around $4 per pound at scrap yards. Antique and vintage items made of pewter typically have a higher value to antique collectors (up to thousands of dollars); prices vary depending on the style, age, and condition. For more details about how much pewter is worth and how to identify it, see below.
How Much Is Pewter Worth?
Pewter consists mostly of tin.[1]
When selling pewter for scrap, you can expect to get about half of the current tin price — so, in general, around $4 per pound at a scrapyard.[2]
Not all scrap yards will accept pewter. Beyond their scrap value, pewter items often have value as antiques.
In use since Roman times, pewter is commonly found in kitchen and household items like chalices, jugs, spoons, buttons, tankards, candlesticks, and inkwells.[1]
The older your item and the better its condition, the more collectible it will typically be; factors like manufacturer also matter in the valuation.
Everyday items like dishware from the mid-20th century often sell for under $100, while specialty items like sculptures, figurines, and vases can fetch up to $5,000 or more on the antique market.[3][4]
Identification & Valuation
Depending on whether it’s polished, pewter can look similar to many other metals, including silver and bronze. It can also serve as a base for silver or gold plating, which can make it challenging to identify.[5]
Keep the following tips in mind to determine the value of your pewter item(s).
Identifying Marks
Your pewter may include three different types of marks: the pewterer’s mark, capacity/verification marks, and ownership marks.[6]
The pewterer’s mark might include the maker’s name, initials, hallmark, label, or number.[7]
Capacity and verification marks show that the piece was inspected by the government.[8]
Ownership marks, as the name implies, were sometimes stamped by the original owner of the piece and usually include a monogram design or the person’s full name.[9]
Note that your piece may include one or more of these marks or may not be marked at all. While identifying marks can help pinpoint the age and origin of your pewter, some makers didn’t follow legal requirements like capacity marks.[8]
If you’re unable to decipher the marks yourself, you may want to consult a pewter expert.
Features
Pewter is silver in color but will darken over time, so you may be able to estimate the age of your piece by its color as well as its markings.
It doesn’t tarnish, instead darkening evenly, which can help you identify your piece as pewter rather than silver.[10]
In style, pewter ranges from simple to intricate, depending on where and when it was made. For example, Early American pewter is known to have a simple, utilitarian style.[11]
If you’re unable to identify a piece based on its marks or other features, consider reaching out to an organization like The Pewter Society or a Pewter Collectors’ Club member-dealer for an expert evaluation.
There’s always a chance that your piece might be a more recent reproduction, even if it looks old; an expert can help you find the true identity.
How to Sell
The best way to sell pewter is through your nearest certified antique dealer or antique fairs.
The Pewter Society holds two auctions a year exclusive to members.
Antique dealers have the expertise to appraise the item and give you an accurate price estimate. When navigating antique fairs, keep an eye out for true pewter specialists — otherwise, you might not get a fair price.
There are also several online resources for pewter sale, such as PewterSellers.com and online auction sites like eBay. You can browse eBay’s collectible pewter page to compare your own pieces to similar items for an idea of what you might earn.
When selling online, it’s important to include high-quality, professional photos of your pewter. Pictures of your item can make or break a sale.
Photographs should have good lighting and focus to accentuate color and texture. The pewter’s surface condition is critical to buyers, so take notice of dents, scratches, or corrosion patches; these will decrease the value.
Also, don’t forget to call attention to any touch or capacity marks to ensure authenticity.
Hello I have Zeister pewter set sugar creamer coffee tea service. Is it worth anything??
Hi Dinah,
I did a quick search of these tea sets, which are quite lovely, and found that most were selling for about $25 on auction websites.
Hi,
My Mom has a Pewter – George Washington figurine – 1976 Vincent Ricci & Michael Stelzer #49 of 1000 copyright 1976 classic editions inc. I cant find out anything about this piece? Mom would like to know if it is worth anything…can you point me in the right direction? Thank you so much. PS my email contains the word sell – I sell real estate not collectibles (LOL).
Hi Diana,
If you are unable to find any information online about your George Washington pewter figurine, your best bet is to have it appraised through a reputable appraiser. If you want to sell it, many sellers go to eBay.
Hi, I have a pewter set of a cup and cross on the side of the box has a stamp saying RENAISSANCE PEWTER WITH THE NUMBER 1835 could you tell me the value.
Hi Alison,
Could you tell me a little more about the piece? You said the box is stamped, but does the cup itself have any identifying marks on it? If you could tell me anything else about the piece, I might be able to give you some more information.
No but the cross has a bible stamped on it.
Hi Alison,
Because your cup does not have any distinguishing marks on it, it is difficult to determine its value. However, according to the Pewter Society, many high-quality pewter pieces were never marked. Your best bet is to find a pewter dealer in your area who can appraise it. Google “antique pewter dealers [your city]” to locate a nearby dealer. Good luck!
Hello,
I have a 6″ diameter pewter plate with raised rim and raised stylized lobster on top. I looked up the mark: Zinn Rein by Harald Buchrucker. Top finish, without cleaning, is spotted with some pitting. Can’t find anything similar on Google, Ebay and etc. Any idea of value? Should I clean it? Thanks.
Louise,
It sounds like you’ve got a unique piece there! I’m not immediately seeing anything on the major websites you suggested either, so it’s probably best to have it appraised in person if you’re hoping to discover its true value. You might consider contacting your nearest certified antique dealer or trying to sell it through an antique fair (at which you might also be able to get it appraised). I hope this helps!
I have pewter goblets and small and lg. mugs. I bought them in Disney World some years back. I paid 35.00 each for them. They have never been used as my son I bought them for died. Could you tell me where I might find out where to sell them and how much they are worth. Thank You so much
Liz,
The value of your pewter goblets may depend on their year, theme, and current demand. In today’s market, the value of contemporary pewter is going down, but for rarer or older pieces, value is only appreciating. It sounds like what you have are not antiques, but more modern pieces. Since your pewter goblets and mugs are not the sort of thing an antique dealer would be interested in, I would recommend trying a visit to Craigslist or eBay.com and running a search for “Disney pewter goblets.” If you can find a listing that’s similar to what you have, you can get a good idea of the demand for those pieces and how much they sell for. I hope this helps!
I have a 200 plus piece collection for sale do you know any buyers in the Kansas city area?
Hi Steve,
The Show Me Kansas City Rockhounds would be a great resource to look into to help connect you with potential buyers. You can also consider posting in an online community like The Fossil Forum or the Rock Hound Lounge to ask for a recommendation for a local appraiser or as a way to connect with buyers directly. I hope this helps!
I have a small English pewter tankard, it was bought at an auction and it is marked made in England. I also have a small bowl with no markings but it seems to have some kind of join line through the center, could they be worth anything?
Hi Lorraine,
The English tankard may be worth something; there are numerous listings for similar items on eBay with prices ranging from $7 to $95. Considering the wide variety of prices, it may be worth taking the tankard to a pewter expert for an appraisal, particularly if you paid a considerable sum for it at the auction. As far as the bowl, it’s difficult to say how much the item may be worth without further details. To get an exact estimate, the best option is probably to take that item to a local pewter dealer as well to find out how much it’s worth. I hope this helps!
Pewter scrap $11 – $13 per ounce? RUBBISH
The stock exchange price is only $20usd per kilogram!
Hi David,
The price of scrap pewter does vary widely depending on its composition, form, and age, so it’s hard to come up with a benchmark figure. But you’re right that $11 – $13 per ounce is much higher than anyone is likely to get for the melt value of pewter. Pewter is mostly tin, and tin is generally priced between $7 and $10 per pound; taking the scrap yard’s mark-up into account, sellers are likely to get around $3 to $5 per pound for scrap pewter. Again, my apologies for the misinformation, and thank you for taking the time to bring the issue to our attention.
The article has been updated to reflect this information.
Hi!
We definitely recommend using the places mentioned in the article.
I bought at an estate sale a pewter flatware set for 12 marked W 250 ALPACCA . After some research on the web I think the W stands for Wolff and it might come from Brazil, as the case that they are housed in. It seems the pattern is Ausburger Faden. How much do you think it is worth?
Hi Florentina,
It sounds like what you have isn’t pewter, but alpacca silver, also called nickel silver. It doesn’t contain any real silver, unfortunately, but it seems that there is a market for this type of flatware. Hopefully you’re able to find something that closely resembles the set that you have to get an idea of its value; otherwise, you may consider taking the set to a local appraiser, since you do have a fairly large lot and that may increase the value. Best of luck!
I will accept any offers
I have app 2500 pewter jewelry and belt buckles made from pewter. They were manufactured in Bloomington, Indiana. Then shipped to me and I put original artwork on them. I only have 2500 left. They could be melted down. Does anyone know someone who would buy these and I could ship them out immediately.
Do you know the percentage of tin in the alloy? How much do you want?
Hi James
I don’t .
I can send you photos.
I don’t have a number in mind. What are you thinking?
I just heard it’s apx .30 per pound
Thank you
Jackie
Hi James
Do you have any interest?
Thanks
Jackie
Looking to find out the worth of Empire pewter 827 coffee set… coffee pot sugar creamer and tray. Thank you
Hi Janis,
A great resource to find out the value of a piece is running a quick eBay search for similar items. I searched eBay for “Empire pewter” and found numerous listings for creamers and coffee sets. Prices vary quite a bit, and I didn’t see any listings that exactly matched your description — but you may be able to find individual listings for items that are similar to the ones in your set, so you can total up these pieces to get an idea of what the full set is worth. I hope this helps!
I have a pewter tea pot with a mark that I think is a crown and 1874 marked on bottom. Does it have any value?
Hi Isla,
It’s very difficult to say how much the teapot may be worth without having it looked at by a professional appraiser. Kovels.com is a great resource — you can make a free account to look at purchase prices of items similar to yours. This is a terrific way to get a general idea of the item’s worth, but the best way to be certain is to get in touch with a local antiques dealer. Best of luck!
Dear Hillary,
Your website is very informative. I have 5 Stieff Pewter P50 Jefferson cups, 6 saucer plates P45-19. Where would I look to find the estimated value and where to sell them?
Your time and help is appreciated in advance.
Sincerely,
Veda
Hi Veda,
eBay is always a great place to check listings and find comparable items to get an idea of how much your pieces are worth. I tried a search for “Stieff Pewter P50 Jefferson” and here’s what I found. It looks like prices range between roughly $4 and $15 per cup. Once you’ve found approximate prices for your items, you have a few choices. You can sell the items on eBay, Craigslist, Etsy, or another online retailer, or get in touch with a local antiques dealer to find a buyer. I’m so glad to hear you find our website helpful, and best of luck with your pewter!
Hi
I just bought a large lot of items at an auction that had numerous pewter pieces. Didn’t realize that pewter had value. All the pieces are stamped Selangor Pewter, which I believe dates it pre-1992. Four are plaques in original boxes, titled Kirin Plaque 7218, Phoenix Plaque 7217, Tortoise Plaque 7219, and Dragon Plaque 7216.
In addition there are 4 designed dancers about 4″ tall, Chinese Fan Dancer, Malay Dancers “Mak Inang”, Kudakepang Dancer, and Indian Dancer “Bharata Natyam” (all Selangor) plus a few smaller animals. If you know the approximate value of these, and anyone who is interested, I’d appreciate the info.
Hi Robert,
I tried a quick search on eBay for Selangor Pewter, and there’s quite a wide variety of prices on the market. I saw Selangor plates/plaques ranging from $5 up to $120 each. Most fell in the middle of the road, roughly $10-$30 each. Figurines also ranged a fair amount. I found a 3″ Malay Kudakepang Dancer selling for $21. Many other figurines were also selling for roughly $20-$30, including the animal figurines. I hope this helps!
Hi Hillary
Thanks for the info. I found that pewter has a melt value of $192 per lb.
On that basis, the pieces are worth Cdn$670.
That may be my best option. Unless you know collectors who appreciate the workmanship
Thanks
Robert
Hi Robert,
Happy to help! I wouldn’t be able to say anything too specific about the demand for those particular pieces, except to point back to the eBay listings. Selling the pewter for the melt value is certainly likely to be the quickest method; unless you’ve got a fair amount of time to dedicate to selling each piece individually (or to sell all the items as a single lot, which probably means making less on each piece than they’re worth alone), that definitely could be the way to go. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do with the pieces!
Hi I have about 600 Lb of pewter could you tell me where I can sell it for any where near there price you said. I would be happy with half that price of I new where to take it.
Hi Mike,
The best way to get accurate, current prices for pewter is to contact a scrap yard near you that buys pewter.
We have several pieces of Michael Ricker pewter that are all numbered on the bottom. Is there a market for his work at this time?
Hi Peggy,
It looks like there are quite a few collectors buying and selling Ricker figurines at a wide variety of price points depending on the piece. Search eBay for “Michael Ricker pewter” so you can take a look and see if you have anything similar. I hope this helps!
I have two 9 inch round pewter plates and what look like coasters also pewter by tiffany &co. They say tiffany & co pewter.can you tell me where to start,who would buy them and so on.thank you
Hi Michael,
Probably the best place to start when looking for a buyer is a quick Google search for “antique pewter dealers [your city]” — this should get you plenty of leads for people who may be interested in your pewter plates. As far as pricing, a great resource is Kovels.com. You’ll need an account (they have free and paid subscription options), and it will give you actual prices for over 1,000,000 antiques and collectibles. Here’s the listings for antique pewter (you’ll just need the free account to see the prices). I hope this helps!
Thank you for the information,the pewter in my possesion is not antique though ,it looks fairly new minor dings and scratches,very shiny and says tiffany &co pewter.
Hi Michael,
If the pewter is not the sort of thing an antique dealer would be interested in, I would recommend trying a visit to Craigslist or eBay.com and running a search for “Tiffany pewter plates.” If you can find a listing that’s similar to what you have, you can get a good idea of the demand for those pieces and how much they sell for.
Does antique pewter have the word “pewter” on it.
Hi Jere,
Antique pewter may or may not be marked. According to the Pewter Society, many high-quality pieces of pewter aren’t marked at all. You can read more details about markings on the Pewter Society’s website.
The article has been updated to reflect this information.
I have two pewter plaques of Chinese background and three Chinese women sitting under a tree all in craved on the pewter plaques would like if I could sell them and are they worth anything thank you
Hi Mclellan,
Do they have any words or numbers on them that would give us more information?
Hi! I have a collection of Pewter Bears that I have been collecting for over 40 years. I would like to sell them. Do you know the best place to try to sell them. I would really appreciate any help. Thank you!
Hi Lorie,
Local antique dealers can either sell them for you or at least give you information about where locally they would sell best. Some dealers will sell for for you for a commission (you get to put the items on display in the store and when they sell, the store will get a cut) or you can sell to these stores directly. If you live in a rural area or prefer doing the selling online, eBay can give you great exposure to the somewhat niche market of Pewter bears.