The Mark Index

American Art Pottery Marks: Identify and Date Rookwood, Roseville, Weller and More

American art pottery is better marked than most ceramics, and several potteries built a date into the mark itself. This guide shows how to read the base, decodes Rookwood’s flame marks, and lists 25 makers’ marks with sourced date ranges, from Rookwood and Grueby to Roseville, Weller, McCoy and Frankoma.

By The Mark Index EditorsSources checked October 6, 202625 makers · 87 marks · 95 sourcesCC BY 4.0
AI illustration: five unmarked matte-glazed art pottery vases in green, blue and brown on a wooden bench beside a brass hand lens

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The short version

Turn the piece over. Rookwood marked nearly everything:[3][4][5][7][18][19][20] count the flame points around the RP monogram and add them to 1886, or read the Roman numeral below the full mark as years after 1900.[3][5][7][19] Van Briggle pieces with a full year date from 1901 to about 1907 or 1912 to 1921.[3][15][16][29][30] At Roseville, a sunken script mark is the mid-to-late 1930s and raised “Roseville U.S.A.” is later.[3][9][12][21][22][23][24] Then check for copies: Chinese pieces with raised Roseville marks reached wholesalers in the 1990s, and new companies have registered old names.[12][23][24][59][75][77][95]

Three rules before you date art pottery

  1. A name proves less than it used to. Rookwood, Roseville, Weller, Niloak, Shawnee, McCoy, Teco and Bauer have all been registered again by later companies, some for new pottery made from old molds.[23][24][75][77]
  2. A blank base can be right. Roseville lines of about 1927 to 1935 carried only paper or foil labels, and McCoy marked nothing until about 1927 to 1929.[3][9][12][17][21][22][23][24][53][54][55][56]
  3. Numbers aren’t always years. Rookwood’s numerals are years, but Van Briggle’s early Roman numerals are clay codes, and most other numbers on a base are shape and size numbers.[3][5][7][9][12][15][16][17][19][29][30]

Narrow the date

Tap what you can see on the piece and pick the mark if there is one. The tool combines the ranges and shows which clue sets each limit. Only clues and marks with at least two independent sources are included.

What the piece shows
Maker’s mark on the base pick one

Rookwood flame-mark decoder

Find the RP monogram (a reversed R joined to a P). Count the small flame points around it, then look below it for a Roman numeral.[3][5][7][19]

The one-page cheat sheet

The Rookwood flame count, the Van Briggle base sequence and every two-sourced mark on one page. Print it for a show, a club meeting or a reference desk.

Download the PDFOpen to print

Attribution line: “American Art Pottery Marks” by The Mark Index (https://themarkindex.com/american-art-pottery-marks/), licensed under CC BY 4.0.

How to read an art pottery base

Impressed, incised, stamped or labeled
Impressed marks were pressed into soft clay with a die; incised marks were scratched by hand; ink stamps sit on or under the glaze; raised marks were cut into the mold. Paper and foil labels fall off, which is why so much 1920s and 1930s ware is blank.[9][12][13][14]
Decorator’s cipher
Initials or a monogram scratched beside the factory mark mean a hand-decorated piece, from about 1880 into the 1930s and 1940s; at Rookwood the last decorators left in 1953.[3][5][6][7] A designer’s cipher molded into a shape is not the same as a signed piece.
Molded production ware
The big potteries moved to molded, undecorated lines: Rookwood from about 1904, Roseville in the early 1910s, and Weller’s art pottery gave way to commercial lines around 1920.[8][9][10]
Matte glazes
Grueby’s matte green (1897 to 1898) set off a fashion; Rookwood introduced its mat glaze about 1900 and vellum in 1904. Matte green alone isn’t a maker clue: Teco, Rookwood and Bauer made matte greens too.[3][5][11]
“U.S.A.” and shape numbers
Van Briggle added “U.S.A.” in 1922 and Roseville’s raised script carries it from the later 1930s. Grueby’s 1898 mark already read “Boston, U.S.A.”, so it is a floor for those two makers only.[12][15][16][17] A shape-and-size number molded with the mark (Roseville 728-10, for example) points to the mid-1930s or later at Roseville.[9][12][17]
AI illustration: a matte green vase lies on a folded cloth with its plain unglazed base toward the viewer, a brass magnifier and blank tags beside it

Art pottery marks at a glance

“About” marks a soft limit. The superscript numbers lead to the sources; “Maker” leads to the full entry.

Clue or markDate rangeMaker or noteSources
Clues on any piece
American art pottery period (the window this page covers)about 1880 to the 1940s-50s; the hand-decorated peak was about 1890-1929Details [1][2][3][4]
Decorator's incised initials or cipher next to the factory mark (hand-decorated piece)hand-decorated art pottery, about 1880 into the 1930s-40s; at Rookwood the last decorators left in 1953A designer's cipher molded into the shape is not the same as an individually signed piece (Rookwood Database).Details [3][5][6][7]
Molded, undecorated production art ware (no decorator's cipher) from the big art potteriesfrom about 1904 at Rookwood; Roseville shifted in the early 1910s; Weller's art pottery gave way to commercial lines about 1920Details [8][9][10]
Matte (mat, "dead") art-pottery glaze, e.g. Grueby green, Teco green, Rookwood mat and vellumfrom about 1897-1900 onward (Grueby 1897-98; Rookwood mat about 1900, vellum 1904)A floor only: matte glazes stayed in use for decades, and Grueby-style greens were imitated by Teco, Rookwood and Bauer (Wikipedia, Grueby).Details [3][5][11]
No mark in the clay; maker identified only by a paper or foil label (or blank once the label is lost)common in the late 1920s and 1930s: Roseville about 1926/27-1935, Weller 1920s-1930s; Hull used foil labels tooEarlier makers (Grueby, Teco, Marblehead, Newcomb) also used paper labels, but alongside an impressed mark.Details [9][12][13][14]
"U.S.A." or "USA" incised or molded into the mark of Van Briggle or RosevilleVan Briggle from 1922 (with no year 1922-1926); Roseville raised script from about 1935-1940; many later Ohio potteries (McCoy, Hull) also used USAA floor for these makers, not a universal rule: Grueby's 1898 lotus mark already read "Boston, U.S.A." (Just Art Pottery).Details [12][15][16][17]
Shape-and-size number molded into the base with the mark (e.g. Roseville 728-10, Hull B-…, McCoy style numbers)Roseville from the mid-1930s; McCoy style numbers became more common in later yearsDetails [9][12][17]
Maker’s marks with two or more sources
Name of the pottery and the year, painted or incised by the decorator (variant: initials R.P.C.O.M.L.N.)1880 to about 1882Rookwood Pottery CompanyMaker [3][4][5][7][18][19][20]
ROOKWOOD in block letters with the four-digit year1882 to 1886Rookwood Pottery CompanyMaker [3][4][5][7][18][19][20]
RP monogram (reversed R joined to P), no flames1886Rookwood Pottery CompanyMaker [3][4][5][7][18][19][20]
RP monogram with flame points around it, one added each year (1 flame = 1887 … 14 flames = 1900)1887 to 1900Rookwood Pottery CompanyMaker [3][4][5][7][18][19][20]
RP monogram with all 14 flames and a Roman numeral below (I = 1901, II = 1902 …)1901 to 1967Rookwood Pottery CompanyMaker [3][4][5][7][18][19][20]
Circle enclosing a rose with the name "Rozane Ware" (and other Rozane line marks, often with the line name)about 1900 to about 1920Roseville Pottery CompanyMaker [3][9][12][21][22][23][24]
"Rv" script monogram in blue ink under the glazeabout 1915 to about 1926Roseville Pottery CompanyMaker [3][9][12][21][22][23][24]
Paper or foil label only (small black triangle; later silver or gold foil, often shield-shaped "ROSEVILLE POTTERY"), nothing in the clayabout 1926 to about 1935Roseville Pottery CompanyMaker [3][9][12][21][22][23][24]
"Roseville" in script with shape and size number, sunk into the clay, no "U.S.A."about 1932 to about 1940Roseville Pottery CompanyMaker [3][9][12][21][22][23][24]
"Roseville U.S.A." in raised script with shape-size number (for example 728-10 = shape 728, 10 inches)about 1937 to 1954Roseville Pottery CompanyMaker [3][9][12][21][22][23][24]
Line name marks (LOUWELSA, EOSIAN/EOCEAN, AURELIAN, DICKENS WARE …), typically the line name in a half circle over a straight WELLER1896 to about 1910S. A. Weller / Weller PotteryMaker [3][10][13][25][26][27][28]
WELLER in block letters (at least two sizes)about 1900 to 1925S. A. Weller / Weller PotteryMaker [3][10][13][25][26][27][28]
Half-kiln ink stamp ("Weller Pottery" with half a kiln)about 1926 to about 1929S. A. Weller / Weller PotteryMaker [3][10][13][25][26][27][28]
Conjoined double-A monogram, "Van Briggle", the full year, a Roman numeral clay/body code and a shape number1901 to about 1907Van Briggle PotteryMaker [3][15][16][29][30][31]
"Colo. Springs" or "Colo Spgs" added to the base marks1906 onVan Briggle PotteryMaker [3][15][16][29][30][31]
AA monogram, Van Briggle, Colo Spgs, finisher numbers on one or both sides of the AA, three-digit design number; usually no dateabout 1907 to 1912Van Briggle PotteryMaker [3][15][16][29][30][31]
AA monogram with a year (full or two-digit, e.g. "20"), often little elseabout 1912 to 1921Van Briggle PotteryMaker [3][15][16][29][30][31]
"U.S.A." added to the base mark1922 to 1926Van Briggle PotteryMaker [3][15][16][29][30][31]
NC monogram: a letter N inside a larger Cabout 1895 to 1940Newcomb Pottery (Newcomb College Pottery), H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial CollegeMaker [3][6][32][33][34]
Registration code: one or two letters plus a number 1-100 (e.g. A1, A2 … AB45), stamped, incised or painted1901 to about 1941Newcomb Pottery (Newcomb College Pottery), H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial CollegeMaker [3][6][32][33][34]
Decorator's cipher and potter's cipher (e.g. JM for Joseph Meyer)about 1895 to 1940Newcomb Pottery (Newcomb College Pottery), H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial CollegeMaker [3][6][32][33][34]
TECO stamped: an elongated T with E-C-O stacked vertically under its right armabout 1901 to about 1923American Terra Cotta and Ceramic Co. (Gates Potteries), "Teco" wareMaker [3][35][36][37][38][39]
Rectangular ink mark with the Fulper name (several versions); "Vasekraft" trademark with the "Potter and His Wheel" emblem on lamps and specialty forms1909 to 1917Fulper Pottery CompanyMaker [40][41][42][43]
PEWABIC beneath a row of (five) maple leaves1903 to 1907Pewabic PotteryMaker [3][44][45][46][47]
Square-rigged ship flanked by the letters M and Pabout 1904 to 1936Marblehead PotteryMaker [48][49][50]
Line-name marks such as "Utopian", "Owens Feroza", "Henri Deux"1896 to about 1907J. B. Owens Pottery CompanyMaker [3][51][52]
No mark1910 to about 1927Nelson McCoy Pottery Co. (Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Co. to 1933)Maker [17][53][54][55][56]
"McCoy" with "USA" or "Made in USA" (incised at first, later raised)about 1940 to about 1967Nelson McCoy Pottery Co. (Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Co. to 1933)Maker [17][53][54][55][56]
"McCoy" with "LCC" (Lancaster Colony Corp.) and usually "USA"1974 to 1985Nelson McCoy Pottery Co. (Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Co. to 1933)Maker [17][53][54][55][56]
Flowing script "Hull" in raised letters (first on the Woodland line)1949 onA. E. Hull Pottery Co.; The Hull Pottery Company (from 1952)Maker [14][57][58][59]
"Royal Haeger" marks for the Royal Haeger line1938 to about 2016Haeger PotteriesMaker [60][61][62][63][64][65]
FRANKOMA1934 onFrankoma Pottery (Frank Potteries 1933-1934)Maker [66][67][68]
"Stangl" or "Stangl USA"about 1929 to 1978Stangl Pottery (Fulper Pottery Co. until renamed 1955)Maker [69][70]
Circular blue ink mark and molded form numbers on 1920s art wareabout 1926 to about 1930Red Wing Union Stoneware Co. / Red Wing Potteries, Inc. (art pottery and RumRill)Maker [71][72][73][74]
"RumRill" (Red Wing-made RumRill art pottery, three-digit shape numbers)1932 to 1937Red Wing Union Stoneware Co. / Red Wing Potteries, Inc. (art pottery and RumRill)Maker [71][72][73][74]
Red Wing name on art pottery (re-marked RumRill shapes)about 1937 to 1967Red Wing Union Stoneware Co. / Red Wing Potteries, Inc. (art pottery and RumRill)Maker [71][72][73][74]
"Bauer 2000" imprinted on revival piecesabout 1998 onJ. A. Bauer Pottery CompanyMaker [75][76][77]

American art potteries and their marks

Marks are described in words; we don’t reproduce them. A one source flag means we found only one source for that mark’s dates, so it stays out of the tool and the cheat sheet. Where sources disagree, the dating tip says so.

25 of 25 makers
MakerMarks, in words, and years usedDating tipsSources
Rookwood Pottery CompanyCincinnati, Ohio (production moved to Starkville, Mississippi, 1959 or 1960). 1880-1967 (name, trademarks and molds revived; current company in Cincinnati)
  • Name of the pottery and the year, painted or incised by the decorator (variant: initials R.P.C.O.M.L.N.)1880 to about 1882 incised
  • Printed design of a pottery kiln and two rooks, in black under the glaze (designed by H. F. Farny)one source1880 to 1882 ink stamp
  • ROOKWOOD in block letters with the four-digit year1882 to 1886 impressed
  • RP monogram (reversed R joined to P), no flames1886 impressed
  • RP monogram with flame points around it, one added each year (1 flame = 1887 … 14 flames = 1900)1887 to 1900 impressed
  • RP monogram with all 14 flames and a Roman numeral below (I = 1901, II = 1902 …)1901 to 1967 impressed
  • Printed kiln image enclosing 50 (also 61, 70 or 75) on special anniversary firingsone source1930 to 1955 ink stamp
  • X scratched or ground into the base (a "second" or a piece pulled from the salesroom); X with a third line = giveawaydates not established incised

Find the RP monogram, then count flame points: no flames = 1886, each flame adds a year up to 14 flames = 1900. From 1901 a Roman numeral under the full 14-flame mark gives the year (XXV = 1925). The number under the logo is the shape number, and a letter A-F after it is the size, not a date.

Unmarked Rookwood marked nearly everything. Architectural faience meant for masonry installation is usually undated and lacks the RP logo (Rookwood Database). Very early blanks decorated by buyers are not considered Rookwood (Wikipedia).

Later and fake The Rookwood name, trademarks and more than 2,000 original molds passed to the revived Rookwood Pottery Company (contract 2006, per Wikipedia); the 1922 ROOKWOOD trademark registration is still renewed (USPTO). New pieces from original molds are legitimate modern Rookwood, so judge the date by the mark, not the shape.

[3][4][5][7][18][19][20]
Roseville Pottery CompanyRoseville, Ohio; headquarters moved to Zanesville, Ohio, 1898. 1890 (incorporated 1892)-1954
  • Circle enclosing a rose with the name "Rozane Ware" (and other Rozane line marks, often with the line name)about 1900 to about 1920 impressed
  • "RPCo" or "Roseville Pottery Company"one sourceabout 1900 to about 1920
  • "Rv" script monogram in blue ink under the glazeabout 1915 to about 1926 ink stamp
  • Paper or foil label only (small black triangle; later silver or gold foil, often shield-shaped "ROSEVILLE POTTERY"), nothing in the clayabout 1926 to about 1935 paper/foil label
  • "Roseville" in script with shape and size number, sunk into the clay, no "U.S.A."about 1932 to about 1940 impressed
  • "Roseville U.S.A." in raised script with shape-size number (for example 728-10 = shape 728, 10 inches)about 1937 to 1954 raised/molded

A raised script mark with a clear "U.S.A." points to about 1937-1954. A sunken script "Roseville" with no "U.S.A." is the mid-to-late 1930s. A blank base on a 1927-1935 line is normal: those pieces left the factory with only a paper or foil label.

Unmarked Lines made about 1927-1935 (Baneda, Blackberry, Futura, Jonquil, Sunflower and others) carried only paper or foil labels. Early Pine Cone is often unmarked for the same reason.

Later and fake Chinese-made copies with a raised script "Roseville" mark reached reproduction wholesalers in 1996 (WPA). Early imports kept a relief "U.S.A." and had unglazed interiors; later ones dropped or faked the "U.S.A." Blackberry, Jonquil or Luffa with a relief script mark are reproductions (those lines had labels or Rv). Robinson-Ransbottom of Roseville, Ohio ("RRPCo") is an unrelated company. A new owner registered ROSEVILLE as a trademark in 2017 with first use in 2016 (USPTO).

[3][9][12][21][22][23][24]
S. A. Weller / Weller PotteryFultonham, then Zanesville, Ohio. 1872-1948
  • Line name marks (LOUWELSA, EOSIAN/EOCEAN, AURELIAN, DICKENS WARE …), typically the line name in a half circle over a straight WELLER1896 to about 1910 impressed
  • Hand-incised "Weller" (with or without line name) on early Aurelian, Eocean, Louwelsaone sourceuntil about 1900 incised
  • Double circle with the line name in the top of the circle and Weller in the bottomone sourceabout 1910 on impressed
  • WELLER in block letters (at least two sizes)about 1900 to 1925 impressed
  • Full-kiln ink stampone sourceabout 1924 to about 1926 ink stamp
  • Half-kiln ink stamp ("Weller Pottery" with half a kiln)about 1926 to about 1929 ink stamp
  • Paper or foil labels (circular paper; black and silver foil; fill-in-price labels)one sourceabout 1920 to about 1939 paper/foil label
  • "Weller" or "Weller Pottery" hand-incised scriptone source1927 to 1933 incised
  • "Weller Pottery Since 1872" in raised script, molded into the baseone sourceabout 1935 to 1948 raised/molded

Weller marks are not a tidy sequence; the same line can carry an incised mark, a stamp or a label. Use the mark as a range, not a year: line-name half-circle seals point to about 1896-1910, block WELLER to about 1900-1925, kiln ink stamps to the 1920s, and the molded "Since 1872" script to 1935-1948.

Unmarked Wikipedia says Weller mass-produced art pottery until about 1920 and commercial lines until 1948; label-only pieces lose their identity when the label is gone.

Later and fake Two later companies applied to register WELLER as a pottery trademark (Rhyne & Son, filed 2007 claiming first use in 2005; The Kings Fortune LLC, filed 2016); both applications were abandoned (USPTO). On copies, incised detail tends to be shallow and filled with glaze (JD's Auctions).

[3][10][13][25][26][27][28]
Van Briggle PotteryColorado Springs, Colorado. 1901-2012 (studio closed spring 2012)
  • Conjoined double-A monogram, "Van Briggle", the full year, a Roman numeral clay/body code and a shape number1901 to about 1907 incised
  • "Colo. Springs" or "Colo Spgs" added to the base marks1906 on incised
  • AA monogram, Van Briggle, Colo Spgs, finisher numbers on one or both sides of the AA, three-digit design number; usually no dateabout 1907 to 1912 incised
  • AA monogram with a year (full or two-digit, e.g. "20"), often little elseabout 1912 to 1921 incised
  • "U.S.A." added to the base mark1922 to 1926 incised
  • "Anna Van Briggle" signature on a high-gloss line (Dryden clay)one source1952 to 1968 incised
  • "V" year code: V = 2000, V1 = 2001, V2 = 2002 …one source2000 to 2012 incised

If the base has a full year, you are holding a 1901-1907 or 1912-1921 piece. "U.S.A." with no year points to 1922-1926. After that, Van Briggle stopped dating, so later pieces are dated by clay color, finish and lettering rather than the mark.

Unmarked Most marks are hand-incised and vary; the AA monogram is on most but not all pieces (Wikipedia). Glaze can fill or obscure early marks.

Later and fake The pottery kept making the same designs for over a century, so a classic shape alone does not mean an early date. Post-2000 pieces with "V" codes have been sold as old (ArtusVanBriggle.com). The VAN BRIGGLE trademark registered in 1993 was cancelled in 2023 for lack of a maintenance filing (USPTO).

[3][15][16][29][30][31]
Newcomb Pottery (Newcomb College Pottery), H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial CollegeNew Orleans, Louisiana. 1895-1940 (Newcomb Guild pottery from 1942)
  • NC monogram: a letter N inside a larger Cabout 1895 to 1940 impressed
  • Registration code: one or two letters plus a number 1-100 (e.g. A1, A2 … AB45), stamped, incised or painted1901 to about 1941 incised
  • Decorator's cipher and potter's cipher (e.g. JM for Joseph Meyer)about 1895 to 1940 incised
  • Clay-body letters (e.g. R, U, Q; later A, D, E, F, G, K, T)one sourceabout 1895 to about 1915 incised
  • Newcomb paper labelone sourcedates not established paper/foil label
  • Newcomb mark revived on Newcomb Guild potteryone source1942 on

The letter-number registration code is the date. Single letters A-Z are 1901 to 1903, doubled letters (AA, BB) are 1903-04, and from late 1904 the two-letter sequence (AA, AB, AC …) climbs through the alphabet to ZY in 1941.

Unmarked Newcomb pieces are nearly always marked; work from before 1901 lacks the registration code.

[3][6][32][33][34]
Grueby Faience Company (later Grueby Faience and Tile Co.)Boston (Revere), Massachusetts. 1894-1920 (art pottery mainly 1897-c.1911)
  • Circular mark around a lotus flower: "Grueby Faience Co., Boston, U.S.A."one source1898 to about 1899 impressed
  • Circular mark around a lotus flower: "Grueby Pottery, Boston, U.S.A." (used interchangeably with the Faience wording after 1899)one source1899 to about 1911 impressed
  • Paper label, usually with the lotusdates not established paper/foil label

Look for the lotus inside a circle of lettering; heavy glaze often blurs it. Grueby Faience Co. wording is the earlier form.

Unmarked Glaze can obscure the impressed mark (Just Art Pottery).

Later and fake A Texas individual applied in 1995 to register "GRUEBY POTTERY SAN ANTONIO, TX" (abandoned) and also filed TECO marks (USPTO); later pieces under the name are not Boston Grueby.

[3][11][78][79][80]
American Terra Cotta and Ceramic Co. (Gates Potteries), "Teco" wareTerra Cotta (near Crystal Lake), Illinois. Company 1881-1966; Teco art pottery c.1901 to the early 1920s
  • TECO stamped: an elongated T with E-C-O stacked vertically under its right armabout 1901 to about 1923 impressed
  • "TECO" inside a rectangleone sourceuntil about 1923 impressed
  • Paper labelone sourcedates not established paper/foil label

The vertical T-E-C-O stamp is the standard mark. Matte green alone is not proof: Grueby, Rookwood and Bauer also made matte greens.

Later and fake Later companies registered TECO for new ceramics (first use claimed 2007; registration cancelled 2023), so a TECO mark on a piece that looks new should be checked against period shapes (USPTO).

[3][35][36][37][38][39]
Fulper Pottery CompanyFlemington, New Jersey (also Trenton). c.1814 (as Hill Pottery)-1930s; Vasekraft art pottery 1909; art pottery discontinued 1934 or 1935
  • Rectangular ink mark with the Fulper name (several versions); "Vasekraft" trademark with the "Potter and His Wheel" emblem on lamps and specialty forms1909 to 1917 ink stamp
  • Oval "FULPER" marks: raised in the mold, incised or ink-stampedone source1917 to about 1930 raised/molded

A rectangular ink stamp suggests the Vasekraft years (about 1909-1917); an oval Fulper mark suggests 1917 or later.

Unmarked Company records were largely lost in the September 1929 fire, so marks are a main dating tool (Wikipedia).

Later and fake stanglpottery.org posts "Fulper-Stangl reproduction alerts" for fake "Fulper" art pottery. A 1980s tile company registered FULPER for ceramic tiles (first use 1987; cancelled), so FULPER on a modern tile is not old Fulper (USPTO).

[40][41][42][43]
Pewabic PotteryDetroit, Michigan. 1903-present (Michigan State University 1965/1966-1981; The Pewabic Society since 1981)
  • PEWABIC beneath a row of (five) maple leaves1903 to 1907 impressed
  • Initials M. C. P. (Mary Chase Perry)one source1903 on incised
  • Circular PEWABIC / year / DETROIT stampone sourcedates not established impressed

A maple-leaf mark places a piece in the first years (1903-1907). Pewabic is still operating, so a plain PEWABIC DETROIT stamp can be recent.

Later and fake Pewabic still makes pottery and tile; The Pewabic Society's 2003 trademark registration claims first use in 1901 (USPTO), earlier than the 1903 founding date given by Pewabic itself.

[3][44][45][46][47]
Marblehead PotteryMarblehead, Massachusetts. 1904-1936
  • Seagull over a capital M, hand-incisedone source1904 on incised
  • Hand-drawn square-rigged shipone sourceabout 1904 on incised
  • Square-rigged ship flanked by the letters M and Pabout 1904 to 1936 impressed
  • Small paper labelone sourcedates not established paper/foil label
  • Hand-incised initials of Arthur E. Baggs or other artistsdates not established incised

The impressed ship between M and P is the standard Marblehead mark.

[48][49][50]
J. B. Owens Pottery CompanyRoseville, then Zanesville, Ohio (from 1891). 1885-1929 (art pottery 1896-c.1907)
  • Line-name marks such as "Utopian", "Owens Feroza", "Henri Deux"1896 to about 1907 impressed
  • "Owensart": J and B initials inside a large O, with "Art Pottery"one source1906 on

Owens art pottery is mostly 1896-1907, so a line-name mark like Utopian places it in that window.

Unmarked Unmarked Owens is hard to attribute (Just Art Pottery).

[3][51][52]
Peters and Reed Pottery Co.; The Zane Pottery Co. from 1921South Zanesville, Ohio. 1899 (some sources 1897)-1921 as Peters and Reed; Zane Pottery 1921-1941
  • No mark (Peters and Reed art pottery)one source1912 to 1921
  • "ZCPO" overlapping letters; "Zanes Ware, Made in USA"one source1921 to 1941 impressed

Unmarked red-clay Moss Aztec, Landsun or Chromal is usually Peters and Reed; the same lines marked Zane or Zanes Ware are 1921 or later.

Unmarked Peters and Reed art pottery of 1912-1921 is unmarked (Just Art Pottery).

[81]
Niloak Pottery (Eagle Pottery Co.; Niloak Pottery Co.)Benton, Arkansas. 1909/1910-1946
  • "Niloak" stamped into the base of Mission (swirl) wareone source1910 to about 1946 impressed
  • "Hywood by Niloak" (glazed cast ware)one sourceabout 1931 to about 1946 impressed

Swirled, unglazed exterior with a glazed interior is Mission ware; glossy cast pieces belong to the 1930s-40s Hywood era.

Later and fake A new company applied in 2019 to register NILOAK, claiming first use in 1910 (abandoned; USPTO).

[82][83][84][85]
Camark Pottery (Camden Art Tile and Pottery Co.)Camden, Arkansas. 1926/1927-1960s (WPA: to 1983 as a retail operation)
  • No mark wording found in the sources we could open.

Early Camark (1927-c.1930) is the art pottery era; after 1930 molded pieces with glaze overlays and drips dominate (Encyclopedia of Arkansas).

Unmarked About 25 early Camark shapes are similar or identical to RumRill and Red Wing products (WPA), so shape alone is not proof of maker.

[86][87]
Cowan Pottery StudioLakewood, Ohio (1912-c.1919/1920); Rocky River, Ohio (1920-1931). 1912-1931
  • "Cowan" name mark, with the initials "R.G." underneath on later pieces; earlier pieces tied to the Lakewood wareone sourceabout 1912 to 1931

Location is the dating clue: work made in Lakewood dates 1912-1919 and in Rocky River 1920-1931 (Cowan Pottery Museum).

[88][89][90][91]
Muncie PotteryMuncie, Indiana. 1919-1939
  • MUNCIE, often with molder/finisher letters or numbersone source1919 to 1939 impressed

Unmarked Muncie is found both marked and unmarked (Just Art Pottery).

[92]
Nelson McCoy Pottery Co. (Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Co. to 1933)Roseville, Ohio. 1910-1990
  • No mark1910 to about 1927
  • Earliest marks (shield or clover-type marks incised; one blue ink stamp on the side), with size numbersone sourceabout 1927 on incised
  • "NM" initialsone sourceabout 1934 to about 1940 incised
  • "McCoy" with "USA" or "Made in USA" (incised at first, later raised)about 1940 to about 1967 incised
  • "24 K GOLD" stamp in liquid gold, added beside the normal McCoy markone source1957 ink stamp
  • Mount Clemens marks (first without the McCoy name; "McCoy" restored 1968)one source1967 to 1974
  • "McCoy" with "LCC" (Lancaster Colony Corp.) and usually "USA"1974 to 1985 raised/molded
  • Designer Accents mark (no McCoy name); pottery closed fall 1990one source1985 to 1990

"NM" is the 1930s; "McCoy" with "USA" is the 1940s-60s; "LCC" in the mark is 1974-1985. Many genuine pieces carry only "USA" or no mark.

Unmarked The collectors society notes many pieces were never marked, and the same piece could be reissued marked, unmarked, or with only "USA".

Later and fake A Tennessee potter registered McCOY for "pottery made of common clay" with first use January 1991; the registration was later cancelled (USPTO). Fake "McCoy" cookie jars (Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and many more) were never made by the Nelson McCoy pottery (collectors society).

[17][53][54][55][56]
J. W. McCoy Pottery (1899-1911); Brush-McCoy Pottery Co. (1911-1925); Brush Pottery Co. (from December 1925)Roseville and Zanesville, Ohio. 1899-1925 under the McCoy names
  • Line-name marks: hand-scribed "Mt. Pellee"; "Loy-Nel-Art" (incised by hand, then with a steel die); "Olympia", "Cherokee", "Renaissance" (some with an M and overlapping C)one sourceabout 1902 to about 1911 incised
  • Style number only, incisedone sourceabout 1911 to about 1925 incised
  • Ink stamps "Navarre" (1912) and "Vogue" (1916; the only permanent mark known with the Brush-McCoy name)one source1912 to 1916 ink stamp

Most J. W. McCoy and Brush-McCoy pieces carry no maker name at all; a Brush-McCoy maker mark is rare.

Unmarked Very many Brush-McCoy pieces had no identifying marks (collectors society).

[17]
A. E. Hull Pottery Co.; The Hull Pottery Company (from 1952)Crooksville, Ohio. 1905-1986
  • "The Acme Pottery Company" with an eagle (company bought by Hull)one sourceuntil about 1905
  • Wreath with a gallon-size number and the Hull name (utilitarian jugs and jars)one sourceabout 1910 on
  • Capital H in a diamond or a circleone sourceabout 1910 to about 1940
  • "Hull U.S.A." / "Hull Art U.S.A." on vasesone sourceuntil about 1950
  • Flowing script "Hull" in raised letters (first on the Woodland line)1949 on raised/molded
  • Lower-case "hull", sometimes with a copyright symbolone sourceabout 1960 to 1986

A script "Hull" points to the 1949 Woodland line or later; a lower-case "hull" is 1960s House 'n Garden and later. Many artware pieces carry only a line letter and mold/size number (e.g. Bow-Knot B-…).

Unmarked Some artware (e.g. Sueno) and 1930s-40s novelties carry no Hull mark, only a mold number or nothing (Hull Pottery Association).

Later and fake Little Red Riding Hood cookie-jar copies run about an inch shorter than the 8 1/2-inch original (Weekly View).

[14][57][58][59]
Haeger PotteriesDundee (East Dundee), Illinois; plants also in Macomb, Illinois. 1871 (brickyard); artware 1914-2016
  • "Royal Haeger" marks for the Royal Haeger line1938 to about 2016
  • "Royal Haeger by Royal Hickman U.S.A." with an R-number (R-###)one source1938 to 1944

"Royal Haeger" places a piece in 1938 or later; a Royal Hickman credit with an R-number points to his 1938-1944 tenure.

Later and fake Haeger itself reissued its first artware vase "Adam" in 1971 for its 100th anniversary (Illinois Executive Mansion).

[60][61][62][63][64][65]
Shawnee Pottery CompanyZanesville, Ohio. 1937-1961
  • Arrowhead with a Shawnee Indian head profile (company logo)one source1937 to 1961

Later and fake A Georgia company registered a stylized SHAWNEE mark in 2008 for cookie jars and similar wares (cancelled), and also filed McCOY and WELLER marks (USPTO). New "Shawnee" cookie jars are not 1937-1961 Shawnee.

[93][94]
Frankoma Pottery (Frank Potteries 1933-1934)Norman, Oklahoma (1933-1938); Sapulpa, Oklahoma (from 1938). 1933-2010 (name and molds sold 2012; production since by new owner)
  • FRANKOMA1934 on impressed

Look at the clay where the base is unglazed: light tan/beige Ada clay is before the switch to red-brick Sapulpa clay (1953 per Wikipedia, 1954 per the Oklahoma Historical Society).

Later and fake The Frankoma name and molds were sold in 2012 and pottery is still produced (Oklahoma Historical Society; Wikipedia), so a FRANKOMA mark alone does not mean vintage.

[66][67][68]
Stangl Pottery (Fulper Pottery Co. until renamed 1955)Flemington and Trenton, New Jersey. Stangl brand c.1929/1930-1978
  • "Stangl" or "Stangl USA"about 1929 to 1978 ink stamp

The Stangl name on the base dates a piece to about 1929/1930-1978; Stangl was the dinnerware and giftware brand of the Fulper company.

[69][70]
Red Wing Union Stoneware Co. / Red Wing Potteries, Inc. (art pottery and RumRill)Red Wing, Minnesota. 1861-1967 (art pottery from the 1920s)
  • Circular blue ink mark and molded form numbers on 1920s art wareabout 1926 to about 1930 ink stamp
  • "RumRill" (Red Wing-made RumRill art pottery, three-digit shape numbers)1932 to 1937 impressed
  • Red Wing sticker on the same shapes, with shape number only in the clayone source1932 to 1937 paper/foil label
  • Red Wing name on art pottery (re-marked RumRill shapes)about 1937 to 1967

A RumRill piece with a three-digit shape number was made at Red Wing (1932/33-1937); a letter-plus-digits number means Florence Pottery in Ohio (1938-41).

Later and fake Red Wing Pottery (the retail successor) resumed small-scale production in 1996, and RED WING POTTERY was registered in 2001 with first use July 11, 1996 (Wikipedia; USPTO).

[71][72][73][74]
J. A. Bauer Pottery CompanyPaducah, Kentucky; Los Angeles, California (from 1909 or 1910). 1885-1962 (revival company from 1998/2000)
  • "Bauer 2000" imprinted on revival piecesabout 1998 on impressed

Original Bauer ended in 1962. A "Bauer 2000" imprint means a modern revival piece.

Later and fake The revival company makes replicas of 1930s-40s Bauer shapes in original and new colors, molded from vintage pieces (bauerpottery.com; Wikipedia).

[75][76][77]

Date codes and mark sequences

Van Briggle bases

Van Briggle dated its pieces from 1901 until about mid-1907, stopped, then dated again from about 1912 to 1921. “U.S.A.” with no year points to 1922 to 1926. The early Roman numerals are clay codes, not years.[3][15][16][29][30]

What the base showsDateHow to read it
AA monogram, "Van Briggle", full year, Roman numeral, shape number1901 to 1907Read the year. Dates were dropped around mid-1907. Roman numerals: III = 1902-03, V = 1904; V, X, VV or VX in 1905 (Just Art Pottery).
"Colo. Springs" / "Colo Spgs" present together with a full date1906 to 1907"Colo. Springs" first appears in 1906 and dating stopped mid-1907.
Van Briggle, Colo Spgs, finisher numbers flanking the AA, three-digit shape number, no date1907 to 1912Mid-1907 to 1912 (ArtusVanBriggle.com says 1908-12).
AA monogram with a year again (often two digits, e.g. "20")1912 to 1921Dated again from 1912 (scarce) to 1921 (ArtusVanBriggle.com; VanBriggle.net). Just Art Pottery gives 1913-1919 plus "20" for 1920.
"U.S.A." or "USA" in the base mark, no year1922 to 1926Export period; all three collector sources agree.
"Anna Van Briggle" signature on a high-gloss pieceone source1952 to 1968Single source (VanBriggle.net).
"V" year code (V = 2000, V1 = 2001 …)one source2000 to 2012Single source (ArtusVanBriggle.com); studio closed spring 2012.

Roseville: label, sunken script or raised script

The sources disagree by a few years on each switch, so the ranges overlap. Read them as a sequence.[9][12][21][22]

What the base showsDateHow to read it
Rozane rose-in-circle or other Rozane line mark1900 to 1920About 1900 to the late 1910s/early 1920s (Barber 1904; WPA; Just Art Pottery).
Blue ink "Rv" under the glaze1915 to 1926Mid-to-late teens to mid-1920s (WPA); Just Art Pottery says from 1923.
No mark in the clay; paper or foil label (or nothing, if the label is gone)1926 to 1935WPA: triangle label from about 1926-27, foil from about 1930; Just Art Pottery: 1927-1935.
Sunken (impressed) script "Roseville" + shape-size number, no U.S.A.1932 to 1940WPA 1932-1937; Just Art Pottery 1936-1940; collector blog after 1935 and before 1940.
Raised script "Roseville U.S.A." + shape-size number1935 to 1954Start: 1935 (Post-Bulletin), about 1937 (WPA) or 1940 (Just Art Pottery; collector blog). Ends 1954.
Raised script "Roseville" with NO or very faint "U.S.A."1996 onWPA: probably Chinese-made (imports from 1996); genuine raised marks always included U.S.A.

Weller marks in rough order

Weller’s marks are not a tidy sequence; the same line can carry an incised mark, a stamp or a label.[3][10][13][25]

What the base showsDateHow to read it
Hand-incised Weller mark on Aurelian, Eocean or Louwelsaone sourceuntil 1900What collectors "commonly believe" (Just Art Pottery); single source.
Line name in a half circle over a straight WELLER (Louwelsa, Eocean, Aurelian …)1896 to 1910Barber 1904: the marks are the names of the wares. Just Art Pottery: 1896 to the end of the first decade of the 1900s.
Double circle with line name above and Weller belowone source1910 onAround 1910 (Just Art Pottery; single source).
WELLER in block letters, impressed1900 to 1925Kovels (via Post-Bulletin): about 1900-1925. Just Art Pottery: late 1900s-1925.
Full-kiln ink stampone source1924 to 1926Middle 1920s (Just Art Pottery; single source).
Half-kiln ink stamp1926 to 1929Late 1920s (Just Art Pottery); "around the 1920s" (Post-Bulletin).
Hand-incised script "Weller" or "Weller Pottery"one source1927 to 1933Just Art Pottery; single source.
Paper or foil labelone source1920 to 19391920s-1930s (Just Art Pottery; single source).
Molded script "Weller Pottery Since 1872"1935 to 1948After 1935 (Just Art Pottery) to the 1948 closing (Wikipedia).

McCoy marks in order

Many genuine McCoy pieces carry only “USA” or no mark at all, and the same shape could be made marked or unmarked.[17][53][54][55][56]

What the base showsDateHow to read it
No mark at all (stoneware era)1910 to 1927Collectors society: no marks until about 1927; Wikipedia: until about 1929. Note: many later pieces are also unmarked.
"NM" initials, incisedone source1934 to 1942Single source (collectors society): devised by Sidney Cope (hired 1934); replaced by "McCoy" in the early 1940s.
"McCoy" with "USA" / "Made in USA"1940 to 1967Collectors society: early 1940s to late 1960s; USPTO first-use claim December 31, 1940.
"24 K GOLD" gold-ink stamp beside the McCoy markone source1957Single source (collectors society).
Mount Clemens marks without McCoy; "McCoy" restored from 1968one source1967 to 1974Single source (collectors society).
"McCoy" with "LCC" and "USA"1974 to 1985Collectors society; Wikipedia gives the 1974 purchase and 1985 sale.
Designer Accents mark (no McCoy name)one source1985 to 1990Single source for the mark (collectors society); closing 1990 also in Wikipedia.
"McCoy" on a piece that was never a Nelson McCoy design (cookie jars etc.)1991 onA Tennessee potter used McCOY as a mark from January 1991 (USPTO; collectors society).

Frankoma: look at the clay

Where the base is unglazed, light tan Ada clay is earlier and red-brick Sapulpa clay is later. Sources put the switch in 1953 or 1954.[66][67][68]

What the base showsDateHow to read it
"Frank Potteries" period (before the Frankoma name)1933 to 1934Frank Potteries founded 1933 in Norman; renamed Frankoma 1934 (Oklahoma Historical Society).
Light tan / beige clay (Ada clay) visible on the unglazed base1933 to 1954Ada clay used until the switch to Sapulpa clay: 1953 (Wikipedia) or 1954 (Oklahoma Historical Society).
Red-brick / reddish clay (Sapulpa clay)1953 onFrom 1953 (Wikipedia) or 1954 (Oklahoma Historical Society) onward.

Newcomb registration letters one source

From 1901 Newcomb pieces carry a registration code: one or two letters and a number from 1 to 100. That system is confirmed by the Newcomb Art Museum and others; the year-by-year letter list below comes from one source we could open (Just Art Pottery, citing Poesch and Main), so treat it as a guide. AA appears under both 1903 and 1904, and HS and HT under both 1915 and 1916. The pottery enterprise ended in 1940; marks from 1942 belong to the Newcomb Guild.[3][6][32][33][34]

Show the year-by-year letter list
YearLetters
1901A through F
1902G through W
1903X through Z then AA, BB, etc. to NN
1904OO through ZZ then AA, AB, etc. through AE
1905AF through AU
1906AV through AZ then BA through BL
1907BM through CC
1908CD through CT
1909CU through DL
1910DM through ED
1911EF through EW
1912EX through FP
1913FQ through GI
1914GJ through HA
1915HB through HT
1916HS through IM
1917IN through JF
1918JG through JX
1919JY through KQ
1920KR through LI
1921LJ through MC
1922MD through MW
1923MX through NQ
1924NR through OJ
1925OK through PD
1926PE through PX
1927PY through QP
1928QR through RI
1929RJ through SA
1930SB through SR
1931ST through TK
1932TL through UC
1933UD through UT
1934UV through VM
1935VN through WE
1936WF through WV
1937WX through XP
1938XQ through YG
1939YH through YX
1940YZ through ZQ
1941ZR through ZY

Dates that are often repeated wrong

  • Rookwood’s first flame is 1887, not 1886. The RP monogram appeared in 1886 with no flames, so the year is 1886 plus the number of flames, and 14 flames is 1900.[3][5][7][19]
  • “Roseville U.S.A.” doesn’t prove a piece is genuine. The first Chinese imports of 1996 kept a relief U.S.A.; a missing or faint U.S.A. under raised script is a sign of a copy. The raised mark itself starts in 1935, about 1937 or 1940 depending on the source.[3][9][12][21][22][23][24][59][95]
  • Van Briggle’s Roman numerals are clay codes, and dating didn’t stop when Artus Van Briggle died in 1904; it ran to about 1907.[3][15][16][29][30]
  • McCoy didn’t mark its pottery from the start. Nothing was marked from 1910 until about 1927 to 1929; “McCoy” with “USA” is the early 1940s to late 1960s, and “LCC” is 1974 to 1985.[17][53][54][55][56]
  • Newcomb’s codes end in 1941; 1942 is the Newcomb Guild revival.[3][32][33][34]
  • Teco didn’t begin in 1885. The line was made public in 1901 to 1902; the company itself is older.[3][35][36][37][38][39]

Copies, fakes and revived names

  • Chinese Roseville. Copies with a raised script Roseville mark reached reproduction wholesalers in 1996. Early imports kept a relief U.S.A. and had unglazed interiors; later ones dropped or faked it.[3][9][12][21][22][23][24][59][95]
  • McCoy. A Tennessee potter registered McCOY with first use in January 1991, and fake “McCoy” cookie jars were never made by the Nelson McCoy pottery.[17][53][54][55][56]
  • Revived companies. New firms registered Bauer (first use 1998), Shawnee and McCoy (2005 to 2008), Roseville and Weller (2016) and Niloak (2019). Rookwood’s name and more than 2,000 original molds passed to the revived Rookwood Pottery Company; new pieces from those molds are legitimate modern products, not old ones.[3][4][5][7][18][19][20][23][24][75][77]
  • Still in business. Pewabic still makes pottery, and the Frankoma name and molds were sold in 2012 with production continuing, so a PEWABIC or FRANKOMA mark alone doesn’t mean vintage.[3][44][45][46][47][66][67][68]

Clubs, museums and references: current addresses

Collector societies, museums and pottery archives hold the catalogs, shape lists and mark studies that settle hard cases. Several older club and dealer links on collector pages now go nowhere. Every address below was opened on October 6, 2026. Struck-through addresses are old ones that no longer work.

25 of 25 entries
Organization or resourceCurrent addressWhat it isOld address
American Art Pottery Association (AAPA)Collector clubaapa.infoAll American art pottery; annual convention; Journal of the American Art Pottery Association.http://www.amartpot.org/
Wisconsin Pottery AssociationCollector clubwisconsinpottery.orgMaker pages with marks for Roseville, Weller, Red Wing, Haeger, Camark, Teco, Pewabic and others.http://www.wisconsinpottery.org/index.htm
Hull Pottery AssociationCollector clubhullpotteryassociation.orgHull marks and trademarks page; history.Unchanged
McCoy Pottery Collectors SocietyCollector clubmccoypotterycollectorssociety.orgNelson McCoy, J. W. McCoy and Brush-McCoy marks; fakes and reproductions.Unchanged
Red Wing Collectors SocietyCollector clubredwingcollectors.orgRed Wing stoneware, art pottery, RumRill and dinnerware.Unchanged
Frankoma Collectors Association (frankomacollectors.org)Collector clubfrankomacollectors.orgFrankoma glazes, clays and marks (meeting presentations).Unchanged
Hill-Fulper-Stangl Museum / stanglpottery.org (Robert C. Runge Jr.)Collector reference / museum sitestanglpottery.orgFulper and Stangl history, reproduction alerts.Unchanged
Rookwood Pottery Company (current company)Makerrookwood.comMaria Longworth Storer launched Rookwood in 1880 with a single kiln and an ambition to put American art pottery on the map.Unchanged
Pewabic Pottery (The Pewabic Society)Maker / museumpewabic.orgOne of the oldest continually operating ceramics facilities in the country, Pewabic Pottery was founded in 1903 by Mary Chase Perry (Stratton)Unchanged
Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane UniversityMuseumnewcombartmuseum.tulane.eduNewcomb Pottery timeline, including the start of the registration-mark system (1901).http://www.newcomb.tulane.edu/artindex.html
Zanesville Museum of ArtMuseumzanesvilleart.orgThe Zanesville Museum of Art ignites human imagination and understanding through the visual arts.Unchanged
Cincinnati Art Museum: Rookwood objects in the collectionMuseumcollection.cincinnatiartmuseum.org/search/rookwood/objectsThe museum's online collection search, filtered to Rookwood objects.Unchanged
Cowan Pottery Museum (Rocky River Public Library) / Cowan Pottery Museum AssociatesMuseumcowanpottery.orgThe Rocky River Public Library, Rocky River, Ohio (a suburb of Cleveland) is the home of the Cowan Pottery Museum.Unchanged
Everson Museum of Art (Syracuse)Museumeverson.orgThe Everson is home to more than 10,000 works of art: American paintings, sculpture, drawings, video, graphics and one of the largest holdings of international ceramics in the nation.Unchanged
Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast GeorgiaMuseumfolkpotterymuseum.comFolk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia is a property of the Sautee Nacoochee Community Association, Inc., a registered Non-Profit Organization.https://snca.org/fpm/home.php
Barber, Marks of American Potters (1904), full text at the Internet ArchiveReferencearchive.org/details/marksamericanpo00barbgoogEdwin AtLee Barber's 1904 book of American potters' marks, free to read and search online.Unchanged
Encyclopedia of Arkansas (Central Arkansas Library System): Niloak and Camark entriesReferenceencyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/niloak-pottery-586Reference entries on the Niloak and Camark potteries from the Central Arkansas Library System.Unchanged
Oklahoma Historical Society, Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture: Frankoma PotteryReferenceokhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=FR005The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture entry on Frankoma Pottery.Unchanged
Rookwood Database: MarkingsReferencerookwooddatabase.com/markingsRookwood’s excellent marking conventions are a boon to collectors, buyers and sellers.Unchanged
USPTO Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR)Referencetsdr.uspto.govOfficial U.S. trademark records, including claimed first-use dates for registered pottery names.Unchanged
Iowa Art Pottery Association (old site)Old siteNo successor foundArchived copyDomain does not resolve (curl 000).http://iowaartpottery.com
Haeger Pottery Collectors Yahoo groupOld siteNo successor foundArchived copyYahoo Groups is shut down; the URL now redirects to yahoo.com.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/haegerpotterycollectors/
Stangl & Fulper Collectors Group & Message Board (Yahoo group)Old siteNo successor foundArchived copyRedirects to yahoo.com.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stanglfulpercollectors/
Richard Habron's Stangl Photo Album (home.att.net)Old siteNo successor foundArchived copyhome.att.net personal pages were discontinued; host does not resolve.http://home.att.net/~stangl.in.va/
Webteek "American Art Pottery marks"Old siteNo successor foundArchived copyNow redirects to voorheescraftsman.com/marks-pottery/, which returns 404.http://www.webteek.com/marks-pottery/

For librarians, teachers and collector clubs

This guide is licensed CC BY 4.0. Link to it, print the cheat sheet, put it in a research guide, a club newsletter or a class packet; just credit The Mark Index. There are no ads and nothing to sign up for. Club newsletter editors are welcome to reprint the Rookwood decoder and maker table with credit. Found an error or a better source? Tell us.

Chicago
The Mark Index Editors. “American Art Pottery Marks: Identify and Date Rookwood, Roseville, Weller and More.” The Mark Index. Last modified October 6, 2026. https://themarkindex.com/american-art-pottery-marks/.
MLA
“American Art Pottery Marks: Identify and Date Rookwood, Roseville, Weller and More.” The Mark Index, 6 Oct. 2026, themarkindex.com/american-art-pottery-marks/.
APA
The Mark Index Editors. (2026, October 6). American art pottery marks: Identify and date Rookwood, Roseville, Weller and more. The Mark Index. https://themarkindex.com/american-art-pottery-marks/
Link HTML
<a href="https://themarkindex.com/american-art-pottery-marks/">American Art Pottery Marks: Identify and Date Rookwood, Roseville, Weller and More</a> (The Mark Index, CC BY 4.0)

How we built this guide

We read Edwin AtLee Barber’s Marks of American Potters (1904) in full at the Internet Archive, collector-society pages (the Wisconsin Pottery Association, the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society, the Hull Pottery Association, the Red Wing Collectors Society and others), museum and state-encyclopedia entries, the Rookwood Database, and USPTO trademark records for the revived names. We opened every source on October 6, 2026 and kept the quotation that supports each date.

Our rule is two independent sources for every date. Of 87 marks, 40 have two or more; the other 47 carry a “one source” flag and stay out of the tool and the cheat sheet. Several dealer and collector pages draw on the same books, so we note where independence is partial. We found no source we could open that gives Camark’s mark wording. We don’t put values on anything.

The directory was link-checked on October 6, 2026: 20 addresses answered, and 5 old resources are gone, listed with an archived copy.

Sources

  1. SecondaryWikipedia. "American art pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  2. SecondaryRookwood Pottery Company. "About Rookwood.". rookwood.com
  3. PrimaryBarber, Edwin AtLee. Marks of American Potters. Philadelphia: Patterson & White Co., 1904. Internet Archive scan (OCR text; OCR errors left as found).. archive.org
  4. SecondaryWikipedia. "Rookwood Pottery Company.". en.wikipedia.org
  5. SecondaryRookwood Database. "Markings.". rookwooddatabase.com
  6. SecondaryWikipedia. "Newcomb Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  7. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Rookwood Pottery History, Marks, Glaze Lines, and Artists.". justartpottery.com
  8. SecondaryJMW Gallery. "Rookwood Pottery Marks.". jmwgallery.com
  9. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Roseville Pottery History, Marks, and Artists.". justartpottery.com
  10. SecondaryWikipedia. "Weller Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  11. SecondaryWikipedia. "Grueby Faience Company.". en.wikipedia.org
  12. SecondaryWisconsin Pottery Association. "Roseville Pottery.". wisconsinpottery.org
  13. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Weller Pottery History, Marks, Patterns, and Artists.". justartpottery.com
  14. SecondaryHull Pottery Association. "Hull Logos and Trademarks" (2014).. hullpotteryassociation.org
  15. SecondaryVanBriggle.net. "Dating Van Briggle Pottery" (images credited to clemhull.com).. vanbriggle.net
  16. SecondaryArtusVanBriggle.com. "The History of Van Briggle Marks" (copyright 2012).. artusvanbriggle.com
  17. SecondaryMcCoy Pottery Collectors Society. "Trademarks.". mccoypotterycollectorssociety.org
  18. PrimaryThe Rookwood Pottery. Rookwood: An American Art. Cincinnati: The Rookwood Pottery, copyright 1904. Internet Archive scan (OCR text).. archive.org
  19. SecondaryAntique-Marks. "Collecting Rookwood Pottery & Dating Rookwood Marks.". antique-marks.com
  20. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN71147737: ROOKWOOD (filed May 14, 1921; registered May 30, 1922).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  21. SecondaryErdman, Sandy. "Antiques & Collectibles: Roseville Pottery, a colorful piece of the past." Post-Bulletin (Rochester, Minn.).. postbulletin.com
  22. SecondaryMockingbird Hill Cottage (blog). "Collecting Roseville Pottery: References, Prices, Marks.". mockingbirdhillcottage.com
  23. SecondaryWikipedia. "Roseville Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  24. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN87065026: ROSEVILLE (The Kings Fortune LLC; registered March 21, 2017).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  25. SecondaryErdman, Sandy. "Weller pottery offers wide variety for collectors." Post-Bulletin (Rochester, Minn.). Cites Kovels' New Dictionary of Marks.. postbulletin.com
  26. SecondaryJD's Realty & Auctions. "A History of Weller Art Pottery." (Marks text is word-for-word the same as Just Art Pottery; not independent.). jdsauctions.com
  27. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN77100513: WELLER (Rhyne & Son, Inc.; application filed February 6, 2007, abandoned).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  28. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN87065040: WELLER (The Kings Fortune LLC; application filed June 8, 2016, abandoned).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  29. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Van Briggle Pottery Marks: A Collector's Guide.". justartpottery.com
  30. SecondaryWikipedia. "Van Briggle Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  31. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN74306141: VAN BRIGGLE (Van Briggle Art Pottery Co., Inc.; registered April 13, 1993).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  32. SecondaryNewcomb Art Museum of Tulane University. "A Timeline of Newcomb Pottery.". newcombartmuseum.tulane.edu
  33. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Newcomb College Pottery: How to Determine the Age" (blog; registration list attributed to Walter Bob via Poesch & Main 2003).. justartpottery.com
  34. SecondaryJMW Gallery. "Newcomb College Pottery Marks.". jmwgallery.com
  35. SecondaryWikipedia. "Teco pottery" (quotes an early Teco catalog).. en.wikipedia.org
  36. SecondaryWisconsin Pottery Association. "Teco.". wisconsinpottery.org
  37. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Teco Pottery" (collection page with history).. justartpottery.com
  38. SecondaryJMW Gallery. "Teco Pottery Marks.". jmwgallery.com
  39. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN87861325: TECO, stylized (Prairie Design Group, Ltd; registered October 22, 2019).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  40. SecondaryWikipedia. "Fulper Pottery Company" (marks section based on Kornacki 2017).. en.wikipedia.org
  41. SecondaryHill-Fulper-Stangl Museum. "Glimpses of Fulper" (stanglpottery.org).. stanglpottery.org
  42. SecondaryJMW Gallery. "Fulper Pottery Marks.". jmwgallery.com
  43. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN73684706: FULPER, ceramic tiles (Fulper Glazes, Inc.; registered July 5, 1988).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  44. SecondaryPewabic Pottery. "Maple Leaf Pin" (product page with mark history).. pewabic.org
  45. SecondaryPewabic Pottery. "History.". pewabic.org
  46. PrimaryThe Henry Ford. "Vase, 1992" (Pewabic Pottery), collections record 493690, Inscriptions field.. thehenryford.org
  47. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN76427717: PEWABIC (The Pewabic Society, Inc.; registered January 21, 2003).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  48. SecondaryMarbleheadPottery.net. "Signatures.". marbleheadpottery.net
  49. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Marblehead Pottery – Marks and History.". justartpottery.com
  50. SecondaryJMW Gallery. "Marblehead Pottery Marks.". jmwgallery.com
  51. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Owens Pottery – History, Marks, and Artists.". justartpottery.com
  52. SecondaryWikipedia. "J. B. Owens Pottery Company.". en.wikipedia.org
  53. SecondaryWikipedia. "McCoy (pottery)" (history largely sourced to the McCoy Pottery Collectors Society).. en.wikipedia.org
  54. SecondaryMcCoy Pottery Collectors Society. "About McCoy Fakes and Look-Alikes.". mccoypotterycollectorssociety.org
  55. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN73805183: MCCOY (Designer Accents, Inc.; registered June 25, 1991).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  56. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN74309516: MCCOY (Roger Eric Jensen; registered March 9, 1993; cancelled).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  57. SecondaryHull Pottery Association. "Hull Pottery History.". hullpotteryassociation.org
  58. SecondaryJust Collectibles. "Hull Pottery – Patterns, Marks, Value, History.". justcollectibles.com
  59. SecondaryWeekly View (column signed "Linda"). "Collectible Pottery – Take a Second Look" (June 22, 2023).. weeklyview.net
  60. SecondaryWisconsin Pottery Association. "Haeger Potteries.". wisconsinpottery.org
  61. SecondaryIllinois Executive Mansion. "Haeger Potteries, Eve (E-39)." Art of Illinois: Decorative Arts.. governorsmansion.illinois.gov
  62. Secondary"Haeger Industries Inc." International Directory of Company Histories, via Encyclopedia.com.. encyclopedia.com
  63. SecondaryWikipedia. "Haeger Potteries.". en.wikipedia.org
  64. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN71615829: ROYAL HAEGER (filed June 28, 1951; registered October 13, 1953).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  65. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN71619938: ROYAL-HAEGER, ceramic lamp bases (filed October 12, 1951; registered June 8, 1954).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  66. SecondaryOklahoma Historical Society. "Frankoma Pottery." The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.. okhistory.org
  67. SecondaryWikipedia. "Frankoma Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  68. SecondaryFrankoma Collectors Association. "About Frankoma.". frankomacollectors.org
  69. SecondaryWikipedia. "Stangl Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  70. SecondaryHill-Fulper-Stangl Museum / Runge, Robert C., Jr. "Stangl Pottery" (stanglpottery.org).. stanglpottery.org
  71. SecondaryWisconsin Pottery Association. "Red Wing Pottery.". wisconsinpottery.org
  72. SecondaryWikipedia. "Red Wing Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  73. SecondaryReiss, Ray. "RumRill Made Art Pottery Under Many Names." Red Wing Collectors Society.. redwingcollectors.org
  74. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN75245539: RED WING POTTERY (registered January 23, 2001).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  75. SecondaryBauer Pottery Company of Los Angeles. "About Bauer Company" (history page of the 1998/2000 revival company).. bauerpottery.com
  76. SecondaryWikipedia. "Bauer Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  77. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN75732180: BAUER POTTERY COMPANY LOS ANGELES (Janek G. Boniecki; registered March 14, 2000).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  78. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Grueby Pottery History, Marks, and Artists.". justartpottery.com
  79. SecondaryJMW Gallery. "Grueby Pottery Marks.". jmwgallery.com
  80. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN74656697: GRUEBY POTTERY SAN ANTONIO, TX (application filed April 7, 1995, abandoned).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  81. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Peters and Reed Pottery – History, Marks, and Artists.". justartpottery.com
  82. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Niloak Pottery – Marks and History.". justartpottery.com
  83. SecondaryEncyclopedia of Arkansas (CALS). "Niloak Pottery.". encyclopediaofarkansas.net
  84. SecondaryWikipedia. "Niloak Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  85. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN88514773: NILOAK (The Kings Fortune LLC; application filed July 15, 2019, abandoned).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  86. SecondaryEncyclopedia of Arkansas (CALS). "Camark Pottery.". encyclopediaofarkansas.net
  87. SecondaryWisconsin Pottery Association. "Camark Pottery.". wisconsinpottery.org
  88. SecondaryCowan Pottery Museum Associates. "Museum.". cowanpottery.org
  89. SecondaryCowan Pottery Museum Associates. "R. Guy Cowan.". cowanpottery.org
  90. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Cowan Pottery – Marks and History.". justartpottery.com
  91. SecondaryWikipedia. "Cowan Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  92. SecondaryJust Art Pottery. "Muncie Pottery – Marks and History.". justartpottery.com
  93. SecondaryWikipedia. "Shawnee Pottery.". en.wikipedia.org
  94. PrimaryU.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Trademark Status & Document Retrieval (TSDR) record SN78944811: SHAWNEE, stylized (Rhyne & Son, Inc.; registered July 1, 2008).. tsdr.uspto.gov
  95. SecondaryWeekly View. "Reproductions, Revivals & Fakes" (July 18, 2024).. weeklyview.net

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