Almost no one uses real tin foil these days. The
stuff we all call “tin foil” is actually aluminum foil. Originally
foil was made of tin, but it gave a tin flavor to whatever it
touched. It was heavier than modern aluminum foil.
Aluminum foil began to surpass tin foil after World War II, but it
had been available since 1910 when it was first produced by “Dr.
Lauber, Neher & Cie.” a Swiss company. Its first use in the US
was as a wrapper on Life Savers candy in 1913.
Tin foil was also used to fill cavities in teeth before the 20th
century.