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Identifying Marks on Fiestaware

Collecting Fiestaware pottery is a favorite hobby. Its bright colors and kitschy modernistic designs fit into many decor styles, from a retro 1950's scheme to a sleek urban loft. The Homer Laughlin China Company introduced this pottery line in 1936 in cobalt blue, green, ivory, red and yellow, adding turquoise the following year. In subsequent years, some of these colors were replaced by others. Fiestaware went out of production briefly in the 1970s but was reintroduced in 1986. While the color of items is one indicator of its manufacturing date, markings and logo changes found on the their bottoms are more definitive.

Things You'll Need

Fiestaware dish
Magnifying glass

Instructions

Identification
- 1
  Turn the Fiestaware item upside down so the manufacturer's marking is facing you. While the glaze color is a general indicator of the dish's age, the location and method of marking narrow the time frame of its manufacture.
- 2
  Look closely at the backstamp, an ink marking located at the bottom edge of a Fiestaware plate. All lowercase letters indicate a piece of vintage Fiestaware, while all uppercase letters point to modern pieces. Original pieces made prior to 1986 will bear some combination of "HLC," "Fiesta" and "Made in the USA."
- 3
  Use the magnifying glass for closer examination of any markings. For example, an "H" imprinted on the Fiestaware logo indicates a piece manufactured after 1986, while the absence of it may indicate you have a vintage piece made between 1936 and 1979. Newer Fiestaware dishes have a circular logo in which the word "Fiesta" is incorporated into the outer circle.

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