Served up in pewter it tells its own tale...

Further to the Folk: Image & Presentation thread, I was tempted by some lovely old Victorian pewter tankards in an antique shop in Cromer last week and, in resisting said temptation, I pondered their folkloric significance; at least their significance to folkies - pragmatic, symbolic, or otherwise. So what is the deal with Pewter Tankards? Is it purely an English thing? Is it just about being loathed to sup from plastic at festivals? Do you have such a thing? Come! Let us celebrate this most derided accessory of our calling - memories & anecdotes, customs & rituals, odes & origins...