Tin ore, the heavy dark mineral cassiterite, washed and concentrated but not yet smelted; the term was long used in the Devon and Cornwall tin trade. The earliest written records of tin streaming, washing alluvial gravels in running water to separate the heavy ore, date from the 12th century, when output rose. Before the blowing house of about 1300, tin was smelted twice.
Caveats (confidence: medium)
Whether 'black tin' was itself in use as a term in the 12th century is uncertain; early smelting fuels (peat or charcoal) not confirmed by the sources consulted.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Made by
- Dress tin ore to black tin by hand
- Stamp and buddle tin ore to black tin
Used to make
- Smelt tin in a peat hearth
- Blow tin