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From: Walt Vogdes
Remote Name: 24.113.108.29
Regarding Mettlach 2428 which now sports a pewter lid, it is true that Mettlach offered purchasers a choice of inlaid or pewter lid on many of their steins, and the pewter lids were more expensive at that time. Today, the inlaid lids are strongly preferred by collectors.
However, the description of the pewter lid (etched lion?) does not sound like an original Mettlach offering, as their pewter does not usually involve a theme or decoration.
By odd circumstance, the Mettlach catalogue of 1899 shows this stein with pewter lid! It is a relatively fancy two-tier domed lid (there have never been good descriptions available for pewter lids, so please excuse my attempt) and it has a figural thumblift, although not the watchman with horn that you mention. Unless someone can confirm - by seeing photos of the lid on your stein - that the pewter is original to Mettlach, I am inclined to believe the lid is a replacement.