Lead was used - until relatively recently, amazingiy enough! - for water pipes and small cast toys, eg toy soldiers, among other things. It's quite a soft metal, so not too difficult to lever off roofs (she says from experience, hastening to add that I know this because dad's a plumber, not for any nefarious reason). It's also remarkably heavy, and most scrap dealers bought by weight, so quite a nice little earner...
Cati
