OLD HALL EXCELSIOR PLATE

Q: Can you tell from the marks on my plate who made it and how old it is?
A: Your plate was made by Old Hall Earthenware Co. of Hanley, Staffordshire, England. The company was in business under that name from 1861 to 1886. The marks on the bottom of your plate include the pattern name, Excelsior, and an English registry mark, which indicates the design of your dish was registered on January 8, 1880. The asymmetrical Japanese-inspired design would have been popular in the 1880s. A plate in this pattern is valued at $15 to $20.

EDWARDS BROS. MARK

Q: This platter has supposedly been in our family for several generations and has been passed down to the oldest daughter. It has this mark on the back. The words "Victory" and "Rd 18958" are impressed in one corner of the back of the platter. When was this made?

A: The two Rd numbers are English registry marks and help to date your platter. The printed number indicates the design was registered in 1885. The impressed number indicates the year 1888. It may be the year the shape was registered, and Victory is probably the name of the shape. Not much is known about Edwards Bros. Several potters named Edwards worked in Fenton in the late nineteenth century, but there is no listing of brothers. Unidentified dishes like yours sell for very little, perhaps $10 to $15.