"Seasoning" tinned copper

Just about every recipe for Canelé Bordelaise says traditional molds (of tinned copper) must be pre-seasoned by coating the inside with beeswax and fat and heating at about 350°. That's much lower than the temperatures used to season cast iron—and good thing, because tin has a low melting point! But does this do any good?

Are they truly applying some type of seasoning (i.e., a durable, non-stick coating of polymerized fat), or is it just multiple layers of grease, to make sure the caramel doesn't stick?

Janet