This section is from the book "The Home Cyclopedia Of General Information", by Charles Morris. Also available from Amazon: Home Cyclopedia of Necessary Knowledge.
[Ital. peltro.] A common and very useful alloy, consisting mainly of lead and tin, improved in hardness and color by the addition of a little antimony, bismuth, and zinc. Britannia metal is a kind of pewter, made of tin and antimony, with a little zinc and copper. It is harder than common pewter, has a very fine silver-looking appearance, and is largely used for making tankards, coffee-pots, tea-pots, soup-tureens, and other table dishes.
 
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