The symbol for tin in the Table of Elements is “Sn,” from the Latin, “stannum,” which was an old Roman alloy of silver and lead. It the perfect descriptive word for tin, itself as silvery and malleable as those two metals.
And while you will hardly find ordinary things made of silver, or precious items made of lead, tin has been fashioned into items both expensive and cheap. It is the truly democratic metal.
The word “tin” is of Anglo-Saxon origin, however, and that is also apt, because it was in southeastern England that tin ore (cassiterite) was first mined. And it was in Wales that artists first began to paint tin in fanciful designs, creating tole, tin’s most highly decorative and expensive form.
Originally called Pontypool ware for the city where it was first made in 1725, tole (the French word for tin) soon became all the rage in Europe. In America, the Pennsylvania Dutch became best known for painting their tole, especially boxes, with their own distinctive designs.

All forms of tin--plain, hammered, pressed, pierced, painted or printed (tin lithography) are abundant in the antique shops, and much of it is highly collected. Look for advertising signs, and packaging for tobacco, cigarettes, typewriter ribbons, biscuits and oysters. There are also lanterns, lunch boxes, tin banks, tin canisters, food molds and other kitchen implements. And the most collected toys these days are the colorfully printed “tin lithos.”
Tin is the designated gift for a tenth wedding anniversary and “anniversary tins,” hammered or pressed tin plaques featuring romantic scenes or scenes of family life, were given as gifts during the mid-to late-Victorian period. These often functioned as chimney flues.
Appraisals: Document box, hand-painted cherries and leaves, 6x9x5", $250; Spice box, 3-drawers, gold stencil labels, $125; Match holder, double holder, disposal trat, center mirror, pressed design, $100; Sieve, heart-shaped punched, $300; Pepsi sign, die-cut bottle, “5-cents,” $500; Anniversary tin chimney flue, 12x15" oval, hammered, $150; Oyster tin, 1 Gallon, Chesapeake Bay, rare, $1,500; Biscuit tins, generally $25-$100; Buffalo Bill Cody Patriotic tin, 1910, $800.

Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is the author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments or appraisal requests (with photo) to aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.