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  1. Can someonen please tell me how to tell if Ironstone is reproduction or not? I have an Ironstone slop bucket (blue and white with handles and lid) which is in very good condition. It h as the Ironstone stamp on the base which is unclear, and under the lid there is what looks like a lower case “f”. I am not bothered if it is reproduction but I would still like to know one way or another. Also, even if it si reproduction would it have any age to it and any monetary value? Thank you.

    1. Hi Diane – without seeing it in person I can’t say for sure, but you can certainly run some of the “tests” I mentioned in this posts. If you’d like to send me a photo I’d be happy to take a look at it and give you my best guess. If you’re on Instagram or Facebook you can message me there, otherwise feel free to email me – you can find my email address in the “contact” tab at the top of this site. Thanks for following along!

  2. Your article was entertaining but so informative! Disappointed my Victoria Ware Hat Pin Holder “was not a thing”. I bought it because it was just a unique, beautiful piece, not a seller, just a collector (of way too much). Just as with you I am in Goodwill and Salvation Army often. I got my little beauty at Goodwill for $3.00! I really loved your article, you got so much information in very few words. Going to subscribe. Thank You!

    1. Thank you so much, Sharon – I’m glad you enjoyed it! Even reproductions are beautiful and enjoyable. Great find!

  3. Lovely and informative site! I have a set of lovely Mason’s patent ironstone china and would like to know its age. Is there a way to determine its production date (or a date range) based on the hallmark? If so, could someone please tell me where can I research this? My small local library was not able to help, unfortunately.

    1. Thank you so much for your kind comment! I would google search “Mason’s patent ironstone backstamp dates” – I’ll bet you can find some pictorial guides online. Definitely check out janicepaull.com – that site has a directory of mason’s factory markings. Hope that’s helpful! Thanks for reading!

  4. This is very interesting, and I’m glad to learn more about ironstone – no idea that there are so many fakes out there?! What about Irish ironstone, such as Higginbotham? Is that substantially different from English or American? And how do we date this from maker’s marks, which don’t usually print a date?

    1. I’m so glad you found it interesting! I’m not very familiar with Irish ironstone – that’s an area I’ll have to look into more. As far as maker’s marks with no date, there are charts and guides scattered out there online – even books for collectors – that have maker’s marks with probable date ranges to help determine year of manufacture. Hope that helps a bit!

  5. Do you know if a backstamp could have been washed off? I have a coffee pot I bought and it has the embossed J&G Meakin Ironstone China that I have found on another site but no inked backstamp. That site says 1890 or earlier and notes the backstamp was paired with an embossed marking. Thank you for your help!

    1. Hi Rachel! It’s very possible. I see backstamps quite frequently that are faded or partially missing due to heavy wear. It’s also entirely possible that it came slightly before or after the 1890 coffee pot or was some variation in manufacturing that included embossing but not a backstamp. I find there are so many variations in vintage dishes and ironstone, even from year to year of production! Hope that helps a bit!

  6. This was expertly presented. So interesting too. What a lovely collection you have. Such passion. I have been considering some items Etsy. I’ve hesitated as I can’t see it in person first. I have a pot I thought, ” fun & cute” Looks like a giant coffee cup. Why I bought it for the kitchen. My sister insisted it was a chamber pot. IDK? It has something printed on the bottom.. But, hardly visible. I can’t find another like it on the internet. Any suggestions? Thank you, Bonnie

    1. Thank you so much, Bonnie! Hehe…giant coffee cup sounds about right. It could very well be a chamber pot and many of the markings have been severely worn from heavy use. I would run the other tests on it – weight, sound when tapped, luster. If it passes all those and doesn’t have any red flags like age-inappropriate designs (geese, etc) then I’d say there’s a good chance it’s what you think it is. As far as Etsy I totally know what you mean. If there’s a piece you’re really interested in getting, the best thing you can do is to read the entire description carefully, examine all the photos, and ask any clarifying questions to the seller before purchasing. Most sellers are more than happy to provide additional information as they are able to make you feel more confident about your purchase! Hope that helps!

  7. I have a small pitcher that has browned over time (I assume)
    On the bottom it has a capital I in side a circle. I can’t read any of the wording. Any idea what this mark is?

    1. Hi Kathy! Off the top of my head and without seeing it, I’m not sure. If you’d like to send me a photo of the marking through social media messages or via my email I’d be happy to take a look at it! (You can find my contact info in the “About” tab on my site under Privacy Policy – Who We Are” I don’t really want to write it here to avoid bots picking it up.)

  8. Hello,
    My mother passed away last year, and I’m trying to clean out her house without getting rid of anything that may be a collectible. She has so many items that may or may not be worth anything. I found this extremely heavy “planter” that has a Victoria ware Ironstone stamp on the back that I believe is a fake. Is there any way that I could send you a picture?

    1. Hi Merry, so TEPCO (Technical Porcelain and China Ware Company) produced restaurantware – the durable dishes made for restaurants and hotels. So it’s not ironstone, but it’s still very desirable and collectible. Many people love restaurantware/hotelware. TEPCO produced from about 1930-1968 and was based in California. Hope that helps!

  9. I have a small teacup with the City of London emblem in gold and red inside on a pale green background with eight gold flowers on the green background. On the bottom it says Victoria Ware and has a gold flower on the base with the words Victoria , also on the base are two rings looks like an engagement ring with the other just a band. Just curious if this was made for sale for Victoria’s engagement to Albert

    1. Hi Helen, thanks so much for reading and commenting. Without seeing the piece it’s hard to tell exactly what it is, but if it is stamped with “Victoria Ware” on the underside such as I showed in my video and blog post then it’s likely made in China and not very old – maybe last few decades of the 20th century. Hope that helps!

  10. Immediately went to my hutch to grab my thrifted “iron-stone” platter after watching your video LOL 😆 Loved the video BTW… looking forward to more iron stone content!
    I found something interesting: Soooo my platter is by Dale & Davis. It reads “iron-stone china” on the makers stamp and displays the Royal Arms. BUT when I discovered the company was actually founded and based in NJ (yep NJ) I cringed believing that it must be a reproduction if they’re trying to pass off the Royal Arms.?. However, I also researched the site you mentioned in the video (potteries) and learned that until the use of the Royal Arms was regulated, this was a common practice in the 19th and early 20th century: “Many potters who did not have a Warrant (both in England and also foreign firms) also used the Arms (or some similar design) as part of their mark – to gain some sense of importance and value.”
    I just found this so interesting and hope you may devote a video to this to better explain the history. I’m still unsure if what I have is genuine as it only passed one of my tests but I remain curious. TIA!

    1. Thanks so much – I’m glad you enjoyed the video! Yes, American makers definitely used English-looking symbols like coats of arms to give a sense of authenticity and importance to their pieces! By no means does it imply they weren’t legitimate ironstone pieces though. I did a quick search and it looks like Dale & Davis was at the Prospect Hill Pottery in NJ, in operation from 1880-1903. Honestly I had never heard of that maker before but it could be because they were in operation such a limited period of time! Thanks so much for watching and commenting – I’ll keep the video idea in mind!

  11. Hi, I have a Staffordshire iron stone wash basin and bowl in green and edged in gold…it has a design of women/ladies in a garden…only have seen ones with flowers on…is it of any value do you think…many thanks

    1. Hi Lesley! It sounds lovely. Value really depends on the current demand, the condition of the piece, the age, rarity, etc. Without seeing it and having details I really couldn’t say for sure. Considering you can’t easily find it online I would take that as a good sign that it’s at least not readily available in the market!

  12. Thank you for the informational video. I recently bought a pitcher and bowl. It is a creamy white with rust colored impurities in it. It has glazed all over and has the bell ring sound to it. The makers mark isn’t like the examples I have seen. It has a stamped NMG or NM6 on the bottom. I suppose that could be a 9WN if flipped but not sure. Any ideas on how I could find more info? I have looked online and in the book referenced in your video. Thanks

    1. Hi Karen, my apologies for the delayed reply. I know that Homer Laughlin produced creamy colored pitchers and used numbers and letters to indicate date of manufacture. Would you be able to send me a photo via social media message or email? You can find my contact info in my disclosure policy on my site.

  13. I have some old Stone China or Royal Ironstone China that I dug up along side a river. Was an old building there at one time. So I am sure it is authentic. But curious of how old it might be. If I took a picture of one of the items could you identify the year it was made, or pattern?
    Lee Noga

    1. What an amazing and intriguing find! My apologies for the delayed reply – it was a rough Summer for me. If you’d like to send a photo through social media (Instagram or Facebook) or through an email (you can find my contact info in my disclosure policy on my blog) I’d be happy to take a look!

    1. I’d be happy to take a look and help if I am able! Feel free to message me on social media (Instagram/Facebook) or send me an email. My contact info can be found under the Disclosure Policy tab on this site.

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