In June 1759, George Washington ordered six dozen, assorted size "best hard mettle Plates with my Crest engraved" from his London agent. This service was used for formal dining which required matched dishes of various dimensions for serving multiple courses. Hard metal was the finest and most expensive of English pewter. Its composition lacked lead, making it a stronger material. After years of use, the highly-polished surface on Washington's genteel plates wore off and ceramics eventually took their place on his table as pewter fell out of favor among the elite around the time of the Revolution.