History of Tinsmithing

• Tinsmithing became common in England in the 1630s, but the large sheets of tin necessary for making household  items had to be imported from Hamburg. Early in the 1700s, long, thin sheets of tin were being produced in England, and England exported this tin to the American colonies.There were no tin deposits in colonial America, and the colonists were not allowed to import raw tin to run their own tin mills until after the American Revolution. By the early 1800s, because the United States could produce the tin themselves, tinsmithing became very popular and common. 

Tin-punched items were inexpensive during colonial times, much less expensive than silver or crockery. They were also more durable and required less maintenance. Silver items had to be regularly polished to maintain their sheen, but tin items were easy to care of. They were also lightweight, decorative and readily available from peddlers who traveled from village to village.

Read more: About Colonial Tin Punching | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_4568660_colonial-tin-punching.html#ixzz2R1GH0bwL