How to Identify Milk Glass Coffee Cup Pattern

Examine the coffee cup for any maker's marks or year of manufacture. Such markings would probably be on the bottom of the cup. This is the easiest way to identify a pattern.

Consult books with photos of milk glass patterns, such as "The Milk Glass Book," by Frank Chiarenza and Jim Slater, "American Hobnail," by Shirley Griffith, and the "Collector's Encyclopedia of Milk Glass," by Betty and Bill Newbound. There are hundreds of patterns, so start with the more popular manufacturers. These include Fenton, Westmoreland, L.E. Smith, U.S. Glass, Kemple, Mosser and Duncan Glass.

Snap a digital photo of the coffee cup pattern and any markings that you have found. Upload the photos to your computer to compare patterns side-by-side at a reference website. To place the patterns side by side, open your photo on top of the website window, right click on the task bar and select "tile windows vertically."

Visit museum websites to search their collection of milk glass items. It is a popular collectible and many museums have these items on display. You may not find a coffee cup with the same pattern, but you may find the pattern repeated on a vase or candy dish. Some museums with current displays are the Historical Glass Museum, featuring the Roberta Lawrence Milk Glass Collection; the National Imperial Glass Museum, which has a permanent milk glass display; and the Corning Museum of Glass, which has information on manufacturers dating to the colonial era.

Visit the National Milk Glass Collectors Society for links to clubs and societies. The society publishes a quarterly newsletter with tips for identifying your milk glass pattern. Locate a milk glass collector in your community and seek his or her assistance in identifying your coffee cup pattern.

Visit antiques and auction websites such as Collectors Weekly to see whether items with your pattern are for sale. If you should find a match, the name of the pattern will be part of the description.