VOCABULARY TERM: POT METAL

Pot Metal. An alloy without specific formulation but which is made by melting scrap in a pot, hence the name. Pot metal generally has a high content of lead, with a lesser amount of white metals, and sometimes, copper. It is characteristically low cost, quite pliable at room temperature, low melting point and ease of fabrication. Such a soft metal alloy is also called amalgam. Pot metal was used extensively from 1920 to World War II by Japanese manufacturers to produce cheap souvenir metal relief objects – trays, small plates, ashtrays, boxes and such. These had relief scenes – modeled from postcards or photos – were cheaply molded or fabricated and usually finished with a tinted lacquer. They are seldom found today in pristine condition as they are easily bent and disfigured because of their soft composition, called soft metal distortion.

To read the complete entry on the Newman Numismatic Portal, see:
Pot Metal (https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/dictionarydetail/516529)

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