# Can someone clarify my question on stenciled stoneware lettering?



## stumpknocker (Feb 24, 2011)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cripple-Creek-C...itu=UCC&otn=5&ps=63&clkid=7323483295999361736

 I have seen a number of stenciled stoneware jug but they all have solid lettering. Is this Cripple Creek, Colorado Stoneware Jug a fraud? I was told all old stencils were made from copper with solid letters and only newer paper board stencils have division in the letter which helps to prevent them from tearing. Can any knowledgeable collectors clarify this for me?


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## cyberdigger (Feb 24, 2011)

Don't take my word as authority, but it looks like a 1960's effort to me..


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## stumpknocker (Feb 24, 2011)

It also seems very odd that the seller is saying â€œ*Item is sold as is; no returns*â€.


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## botlguy (Feb 24, 2011)

In my not so humble opinion, this piece of garbage is positively, irrevocably, absolutely, unequivicably, ("whatever")  NOT AUTHENTIC, NOT OLD but is A FAKE. Don't walk away, RUN Forrest, RUN!

 BTW, that is one AWFUL fake, not even a challenge for a one eyed galoot.

 The jug might be old but the printing is not. If you want a good fake I know a guy who makes them, hard to tell, but they won't allow me to LYNCH him.

 Can anyone tell I am not fond of such shenanegins?


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## wolffbp (Feb 24, 2011)

That stenciling looks as fake as the stonework in the background[:'(]


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## baltbottles (Feb 24, 2011)

The jug looks fine to me. I have seen quite a few TOC jugs with similar style stenciling.

 Chris


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 24, 2011)

I know the seller. He's as legit as they come. Nice guy and sells good quality stuff. I don't have any info on the jug tho.

 All the best,
 ~Tim


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## jammur9 (Feb 24, 2011)

whats TOC mean????????


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## cyberdigger (Feb 24, 2011)

Well, this might be one of those enlightening forum experiences.. can I change my answer to "I have no idea" ? []


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## cyberdigger (Feb 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  jammur9
> 
> whats TOC mean????????


 
 TOC is an abbreviation for 1900'ish.. "turn of century"


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## stumpknocker (Feb 24, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  baltbottles
> 
> The jug looks fine to me. I have seen quite a few TOC jugs with similar style stenciling.
> 
> Chris


 
 Chris can you please post some turn of the century jugs with this style of stenciling in which you are making reference to as I have never seen any? To the best of my knowledge all turn of the century jug have solid lettering. Iâ€™d like to see some that do not have solid lettering which are truly from the early 1900â€™s. Does anyone have a 1900â€™s without solid lettering that they could post?


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## mtfdfire22 (Feb 24, 2011)

man stumpknocker is probably getting confused. if their is any doubt then leave it alone unless you like the way it looks and you are buying it for decoration. always do your homework. this is a very old jug but the style still seems different than what you posted but their is stenciling on real antique jugs.


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## mtfdfire22 (Feb 24, 2011)

dont let anyone scare you away from something you like until you do your own homework, then ask for others opinions or you will get contradictory statements from everyone. hope the picture helps


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## stumpknocker (Feb 24, 2011)

Man Nic that is a very sweet jug and does have a different type stenciling. So now I know of at least one other jug without solid letters. Thank you very much for posting. Is that one in your collection? Do you have any other jugs with similar lettering that you could post? This is definitely an enlightening forum experiences. Thanks you very for your input. Does anyone else have one that they can post?


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## mtfdfire22 (Feb 24, 2011)

that is not mine personally but one i documented because it is very very nice. it can be had for 650.00 but im not ready to jump into that. your welcome for the info


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## diggerdirect (Feb 24, 2011)

Found this pic online, Albany NY has quite a few different 'stenciled' jugs as does utica ny also.

 This one is on ebay now I believe.
 Al


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## diggerdirect (Feb 24, 2011)

:


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## wolffbp (Feb 24, 2011)

There are plenty of stenciled jugs out there, but how many have you seen with White letters on a dark background?


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## dollarbill (Feb 24, 2011)

I would guess that it could very well be early 1900,While I have no later stenciled crocks to compair it to.I do  have and have handeled early toc stenciles that could produce lettering as such. I'll try and locate the stencile I dug.It was for a father and sons company I belive .It was one piece of thin copper,I also dug single letters which were copper also.Never no for sure though unless you tested the paint I would say .
    bill


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## stumpknocker (Feb 25, 2011)

Bill I would love to see a picture of the stencil you have dug with this type of lettering. Where as it is possible that this type of stencil does exist and was used at the TOC Brian brings up a good point how many jug have you seen with white stenciled letters? Do any one else other than bill have a copper stencil that would produce these type of letter they could post or does any have a jug in their collection with this type of letter with firsthand knowledge of it origin. As Jim said there are guys who make them now day and itâ€™s hard to tell. Itâ€™s easy to pull photos off the internet but I was hoping someone had one in their collection and knew for sure itâ€™s history. Even Billâ€™s idea of showing a TOC copper stencil is better than posting random pictures from the net. Thanks for everyoneâ€™s input on the subject but I still not fully convince and surly would be leery of any stoneware with white lettering.


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## jammur9 (Feb 25, 2011)

i am new to this stuff but all the lettering i am seeing still is way different than the perfect brand new perfect stencil on that ebay jug. all the other lettering was a little sloppy and that other dark jug with the white letters was just to perfect.


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## JOETHECROW (Feb 25, 2011)

Should be ceramic glaze and therefore not easily removed with a sharp object. Unfortunately not easily tested...


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## dollarbill (Feb 25, 2011)

Haven't found the stencile yet as I have a lot of totes to go thought,But a thought did occure to me that sometimes stenciles can be use to stop a finish from being applied .So with out touching the jug it would be hard to tell .Heres a pick to help you get the ideal.
 bill


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## Lordbud (Feb 25, 2011)

Currently at $1700.00 with 11 bids. Odd that the top bidder has topped his own bid 6 times in a row and yet it doesn't mention anything about a "reserve has been met". When the same bidder adds a higher max bid it doesn't show, unless a counter-bidder puts in a highest max bid...see pic>


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## cowseatmaize (Feb 25, 2011)

Someone said they were reputable so I'd go with that. Otherwise unless you get them to verify it you won't know until it gets to you. 
 Generally a stencil is done as part of a process. The final stencil will be under a glaze and you won't be able to scratch it off. It would be very easy to tell the difference. That doesn't mean it cant be faked by someone with a kiln.
 This is probably a more recent jug but does show non solid stencil.





 Very good me lord and bud. I wonder if that's all song lovers?[]


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## CHRISTHEHAWK (Feb 25, 2011)

I found this on a website, hopefully this clears up any confusion !


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## diggerdirect (Feb 25, 2011)

> "Even Billâ€™s idea of showing a TOC copper stencil is better than posting random pictures from the net."


 
 The pictures were to answer your question as to 'do other stenciled stoneware jugs exist.' I'm sure lots of diggers have also turned up many shards & pieces of stenciled in this manner stoneware. Even a basic search of the net turns up plenty of examples from all over the country.



> "I have seen a number of stenciled stoneware jug but they all have solid lettering."


 


> "I was told all old stencils were made from copper with solid letters and only newer paper board stencils have division in the letter which helps to prevent them from tearing. "


 
  Regardless of the stencils composition it is apparent they were made in this manner prior to TOC, I would think it unlikely they stopped using them for some reason.

   So your two initial concerns have been resolved, onto the white lettering,  the fact some other jug with white lettering exists or doesn't, while raising a certain level of caution or suspicion, is hardly grounds for immediate dismissal as a fake. 

   The seller indicates this is one of two that he knows of, goes into some history of it, and has been mentioned as a stand up guy by some respected members here, that would certainly lower one flag alittle.

   As to absolute validity of the piece from looking at a picture thats just not possible by anyone I'm aware of.

 Al


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## madpaddla (Feb 25, 2011)

This is the statement that throws this discussion all over the place:
 "To the best of my knowledge all turn of the century jug have solid lettering"  - stumpknocker

 The only problem is that I could almost make a bet that not all TOC jugs have solid lettering.  From the era of 1895 - 1905 there had to be many, many potters of stoneware.  From Akron O, Albany/Utica, Boston, etc.  And to think that they all used the same type of stencil etc would be a stretch.  From Maine to Cali to Texas to Florida all using the same stencil just couldnt happen.  I would venture to say this jug in question is from the TOC period if not 1910.  And to see that the seller is also selling some other high quality antiques, I would anticipate this one being the real deal.  But research is the determining factor.  Good luck on finding more info and pass it along.


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## stumpknocker (Feb 25, 2011)

Madpaddla you have made a great point. Just a different glass houses made the same bottle in different shapes potters in differ parts of the county used different stencils. This would explain way the NY Jugs letters have the similar look. Thanks for your input. Do you or anyone else have any explanation for the white lettering? Thanks to everyone for sharing their knowledge for others to learn.


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## surfaceone (Feb 26, 2011)

Hey JB,

 Here's a coupla additional examples:




From.




From.



From.


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## wolffbp (Feb 26, 2011)

_(I was hesitant to post this; not wanting to be controversial.  In fact it sat on my computer for 14 hrs)_
 Okay, letâ€™s take the stenciling technique out of the equation.  Itâ€™s been well established that stencils with division lines have been made that way for a long, long time.  In fact itâ€™s next to impossible to make a legible stencil without the division lines.  Go ahead, try it.  Your Os and Ps and Rs etc. will be quite disappointing.  If I recall correctly the early solid letter examples were actually made with stamps not stencils.  As for the jug itself, I donâ€™t recall ever seeing white stenciling on a dark jug.  Now just because Iâ€™ve never seen it, doesnâ€™t really mean much.  Right?  Keep in mind that this can easily faked using a bathtub epoxy repair kit and some stencils.  When done well, an amateur would have a hard time telling the difference. 
 So letâ€™s examine the current bid price (which has obviously been run up) $1,700.00?  Really???  Is there anyone on this forum that honestly believes this POS, chipped-up TOC jug is worth that much money?  Especially when you could buy a quality salt-glaze w/ a nice cobalt design for less than half that.   IMO this jug is more like something pickers Frank & Mike would buy to re-sell to their local Cracker Barrel for decorating purposes.  As far as the seller of this pieceâ€¦Okay, maybe he really is a straight-shooter, but Something Really Feels Amiss Here.  Thatâ€™s my take.  Beat me up if you want.

 BTW, I found this photo on the net.  Does it give this piece more credence or was it a merely a reference for design.  You decide.


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## stumpknocker (Feb 26, 2011)

Sweet now thatâ€™s the jug I would want to have in my collection. It certainly looks more authentic. It's all much clearer now for sure. I have learned a lot, thanks very much to everyone for their post and the sharing of knowledge for all to learn by.


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## NYCFlasks (Feb 26, 2011)

I'd like to see what some paint stripper would do to it myself.................the color white is very suspect, now, if it was say, black, brown, blue, would
 sure look much better for the period.


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## NYCFlasks (Feb 26, 2011)

Sorry for the double, hit the wrong button.
 While it can not be examined in person, having checked the listing, one would be best to check the book mentioned for the picture reference cited in the listing.  This could give details such as a matching chip, or matching messy edges on the letters.
 I once drove, with my wife, a good 5 hours to attend an auction where an amazingly decorated local jug was listed.  Good thing I went in person.  From 20 feet away I told her "Hon, it is a fake."  Well, she wanted to kill me at first, but I was able to pick the thing apart as I held it.  Long story short, a blank 
 Long Island jug had a super White's Utica stick bird on it, and had been refired/reglazed.  Pretty good job, you had to hold it and touch it to really know it was nothing.  Still, someone paid big money for the thing, far more than it was worth.
 Also, here are some local jugs with hollow lettering, a different twist on the topic.


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 26, 2011)

I emailed Larry this thread so that maybe he could help clarify any questions concerning this jug for all those interested. Not sure if he is a member on here or not. []

 All the best,
 ~Tim


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## stumpknocker (Feb 26, 2011)

Mark I really appreciate your input on this subject. I was aware of the hollow lettering but still have learned a lot form the tread. Hopefully it has been useful to others as well. Thanks to everyone that sincerely tried to provide an informative post.


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## GuntherHess (Feb 26, 2011)

Looking at that Piggott crock reminds me that I dont know enough about a lot of collectibles.
 Need to learn more.


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## Plumbata (Feb 26, 2011)

Here is a jug I sold recently, and it is legit. The letters are raised and an intrinsic part of the stoneware body itself:







 The jug in question, however, looks pretty fake to me. I see no mixing of the white/brown glaze. Stenciled jugs were not typically fired twice, correct? The white lettering looks like a paste paint applied over a previously fired, smooth brown glaze substrate. Look at the close-up:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=150566642736

 The 2nd "P" in "Cripple" looks worn and faded (as worn paint would appear), the "R" in "Cripple" has bled-out white around original intentional perimeter of the letter which looks exactly how paint seepage below/behind a stencil or piece of poorly-laid masking tape would appear. The same effect is seen in many other letters. I have painted enough to recognize it. Above the 1st "G" of "Piggott" there is a blotch of washed-out looking white paint, and the same effect is seen above and around the "PL" in "Cripple". There seems to be chipping to the paint on some letters, where underneath the unmixed, undamaged brown glaze is revealed. 

 I place 500 on it being fake. Take a knife and you could scrape off that fake painted crap with ease.

 I should start making garbage like this. That would be a good way to make some quick cash.


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## Lordbud (Feb 27, 2011)

Riddle me this Batman:  why oh why would someone go to the trouble of supposedly "faking" this stenciled jug with an example that has such a huge chip? Right? This whole thread seems goofy in my opinion. Someone with the knowledge to alter such a piece would start with a pristine example. Even the biggest doofus knows chips, cracks and other damage brings down the value, right? This seller here on ebay has a 100% feedback rating as well, with plenty of sales. The seller also gives a detailed history of this jug, the man who owned it, and the fact that a second example was found after many years of this example being considered unique. Has anyone seen every different style, method, and is also familiar with every single manufacturing technique used in the past 200+ years to produce utilitarian advertising jugs? Please clue us in and let us know.


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## kungfufighter (Feb 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  Lordbud
> 
> Riddle me this Batman:  why oh why would someone go to the trouble of supposedly "faking" this stenciled jug with an example that has such a huge chip? Right? This whole thread seems goofy in my opinion. Someone with the knowledge to alter such a piece would start with a pristine example. Even the biggest doofus knows chips, cracks and other damage brings down the value, right? This seller here on ebay has a 100% feedback rating as well, with plenty of sales. The seller also gives a detailed history of this jug, the man who owned it, and the fact that a second example was found after many years of this example being considered unique. Has anyone seen every different style, method, and is also familiar with every single manufacturing technique used in the past 200+ years to produce utilitarian advertising jugs? Please clue us in and let us know.


 
 Good questions Jason...


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## cowseatmaize (Feb 27, 2011)

I still like the song.[]


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## Plumbata (Feb 27, 2011)

> ORIGINAL:  Lordbud
> 
> Riddle me this Batman:  why oh why would someone go to the trouble of supposedly "faking" this stenciled jug with an example that has such a huge chip?


 
 Cyberchuck stated it looks like a "1960's effort" or something to that effect, and if that was the case, the person who created it may not have had the intention of defrauding people. Perhaps it was just a decorative/fantasy piece. One peculiar thing is the rough texture of the stenciling and the absolute cleanliness of the white. No discoloration, or areas where grime got embedded.



> ORIGINAL:  Lordbud Someone with the knowledge to alter such a piece would start with a pristine example. Even the biggest doofus knows chips, cracks and other damage brings down the value, right?


 
 Perhaps, but then again, damage lends well towards credibility and indicates well that the item was used and of a good age. How many convincing fake-paper labels look pristine and new? Or fake ancient Roman bronze items? Or fake artifacts of all sorts, for that matter?

 Someone with the knowledge to make a stencil and apply a few coats of paint wouldn't, by law, hold themselves to your perception that only the best and most minty and new looking item would be a good candidate as the foundation for their forgery. It doesn't look like something done yesterday, but not 100 years ago either. The letters seem to have a different superficial sheen than the glazed body as well.

 From the first moment i looked at it, it didn't seem right. Same goes for that machined/etched pontiled squat posted a while ago. I am no expert, but if something seems odd to I tend to trust my own judgment over that of the person trying to sell it. I wish I could handle that jug in person, as it would be far easier to see what is going on than going off a few digital photographs.




> ORIGINAL:  Lordbud
> This seller here on ebay has a 100% feedback rating as well, with plenty of sales. The seller also gives a detailed history of this jug, the man who owned it, and the fact that a second example was found after many years of this example being considered unique.


 
 What does that indicate? The seller seems honest, but honest people get duped by wishful thinking and attractive forgeries all of the time. Dishonest people, even with 100% feedback, create far more elaborate stories than that every day.

 This seller fits all of those qualifications that you provided. Does that make the obviously faked "Papaver Somniferum: bottle real:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160551591108

 Same goes for this seller, and a "Cannabis Indica" bottle they sold, which came from a "museum":
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rt=nc&nma=true&item=140506647292&si=acdzM3MrmT3KlxcUSsFrOiGFbDI%253D&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT


 Or how about this 100% feedback seller, despite the lack of a back-story. I guess their feedback should speak for itself...
http://cgi.ebay.com/EMERALD-GREEN-RIBBED-APOTHECARY-POISON-OPIUM-BOTTLE-/220742273484?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336543c9cc




> ORIGINAL:  Lordbud
> Has anyone seen every different style, method, and is also familiar with every single manufacturing technique used in the past 200+ years to produce utilitarian advertising jugs? Please clue us in and let us know.


 
 Both of us know that such a range of informational expertise is impossible. If such a person materializes however, I would like to see reference to white stenciling over brown on an american jug. Not to say that it did not occur, but it does seem unusual.

 If it were in my possession, I'd take a sharp knife and try scraping, with hard pressure, at some inconspicuous part of the lettering.


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## jammur9 (Feb 27, 2011)

i just recently bought a bottle from a very honest 92 year old man i have know for a long time. the bottle had a paper label on it we both thought for sure was real. come to find out we both were wrong. turns out the label was a new york bottler and the bottle was from florida. i know no one tried to fool anyone it was just probably done for show. the old man bought it because he thought it was cool. and i bought it because i liked the town it was really from. thanks to the help of this forum and what it stands for i have learn alot here and figured out the label was married and didnt even match. the seller didnt have a clue. no ones fault but sometime you buy things thinking there reaal and it just so happens its not. no ones fault. just no one knew.


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 27, 2011)

Hi all,

 I did hear back from Larry concerning the jug. The exact jug is in Glen Preble's Coloroado book on page 207. There also is another Piggot that is a tan jug with red stencil. It was found near Leadville. Also the post of $500 wager on it being a fake is welcome anytime he did state. 

 Myself, I don't have any disbelief about it's authenticity. I do know Larry and have bought some nice quality items from him in the past. A well known and established collector & dealer. 

 Glen Preble and Bob Hansen are some top Colorado collectors and with them as well as many other advanced collectors having seen in person this jug, I myself sure wouldn't have any doubts, but that's my two cents.

 All the best,
 ~Tim


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## stumpknocker (Feb 27, 2011)

It very common among Artifact fraudsters to us chips or nicks to make their fake to appear authentic. Just because the seller has 100% feedback does not mean there is not possibly a creation of a fraudster. Often time buyers buy a fraud as authentic thus they in turn sell the fake as original as well. I do not believe anyone is trying to question the sellerâ€™s honesty at all. As I read it only the jug stenciling is in question. We all know that there is not a book on every subject but thanks to this forum members can share their life experiences so people like you and I can lean


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## jammur9 (Feb 27, 2011)

we werent disputting the guy. i think everyone is one the defense of this well know guy but in reality its the jug we are worried about. alot of people have never seen one or heard of one. if you look back on the post alot of outstanding people thought something might be wrong too, so stop saying we are saying the guy made it or knew it was a fake. it is totally possible to buy a fake not know and try and sell it ten years later. IT HAPPENS, doesnt mean the person selling it knew about. but thanks to all the post WE ALL LEARNED ALOT thats what this whole forum is about. am i right or what?????


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 27, 2011)

Of course it's about the jug. What I was stating myself is that with many credible longtime advanced collectors having seen this jug in person and in their hands, available to close inspection not to mention the history of it,  I wouldn't have any doubts (myself) as it not being genuine.

 All the best,
 ~Tim


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## jammur9 (Feb 27, 2011)

I agree with that.... I just want to say thanks to all the open friendly people who debate things and help me out so much with open arms here....I have seen many jugs and this debate has helped me and others learn alot of things we didnt know... thanks..


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## bottlekid76 (Feb 27, 2011)

jammur9,

 We all learn more about our great hobby everyday, I know this site is very informative and I know i've learned alot also. There's definately nothing wrong with debating or trying to prove an items authenticity. Unfortunately there are folks out there looking to make money on every avenue of the collecting hobby. People seem to fake almost anything these days, it's unfortunate and we all have to keep our guard up. Look at what I went thru with that John Ryan bottle. Chris had the knowledge as well as others to see and show me things about it that I never would have dreamed of concerning it. 

 There are many self proclaimed experts out there, and everyone has an opinion. But knowledge is power and experience and longevity of handling thousands of bottles and along with many other advanced collectors research & history, help us all to know more. []

 All the best,
 ~Tim


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## jammur9 (Feb 27, 2011)

man i a real sorry about that John Ryan. thats a shame i love my john Ryan collection. I agree that people try to fake things and charge outrageous prices for a piece of junk.


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## Plumbata (Feb 27, 2011)

Apparently Piggott arrived in the Cripple Creek area in 1893, and died in England in 1899. He was a miller by trade.

 I keep looking at the close-up, and want to believe, but it just doesn't add up. I don't care how many "advanced" collectors say that it is real, or how many books it is listed in, because I can find "advanced" academics who will swear up-and-down that the earth was created by God in 7 days, about 6,015 years ago, and reference books which claim the Earth is hollow and the source of all UFOs. Deep belief and wishful thinking do not equate objective reality.

 The only possibility I can come up with which would support it's being "real" is if this miller Piggott had some stencils he used to mark his barrels (both white and red paint was used on barrels) which contained his milled products. Perhaps he had a side business of fermenting grains and distilling the product (or he just repackaged a few barrels of spirits on the side), and he used his barrel stencils, White Lead paint on dark unmarked jugs and Red paint on lighter colored jugs to create a few pieces of his own to prevent the undue loss of his containers. Maybe he didn't want to lay out the cash for it to be done professionally by a pottery firm.

 It is plausible, but I would think that the paint would look a bit less "fresh" after 112+ years than it appears. It is more likely that someone several decades ago found his stencil(s) and used them to mark Jugs with Old Stock paints for fun, or just entirely fabricated the stencils for use in the creation of whimsical items.

 I dunno really, but the stenciling looks like paint to me. Someone prove to me how it isn't paint and I'll concede my position. If it is indeed paint, then the authenticity is dubious at best. For now, I'll be keeping that 500. []


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## surfaceone (Feb 27, 2011)

> Where as it is possible that this type of stencil does exist and was used at the TOC Brian brings up a good point how many jug have you seen with white stenciled letters?...
> Thanks for everyoneâ€™s input on the subject but I still not fully convince and surly would be leery of any stoneware with white lettering.


 
 Hey JB,

 I don't think white stenciling is very common, but it certainly did exist on period pieces.







 "Lot of 2 stoneware pieces.
 The first - DONAGHHO CO PARKERSBURG approximate 1 gallon canning jar with Albany glaze. Name is in white glaze stenciled across the front. Potter's fingerprints can be seen all along the base. Excellent. 9 1/2". 1880." From this March 2007 Stoneware Auction.


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## baltbottles (Feb 27, 2011)

Looks like we have a fake Donagho jar on our hands now also.   Just kidding that jar is the real deal as is the jug. many Albany slip glazed jugs were made around the TOC and even though the color combination of white on brown is unusual its not unheard of.

 I mean what is the difference of slip glazing a jug white and using blue or black slip and a stencil for the lettering. Then doing it in reverse. Potters by trade were artisans there are many whimsy and end of day pieces made at every pottery. Perhaps the potter had a surplus of Albany slip glaze and simply made some reverse jugs to use up the excess material. Perhaps he just got bored making thousands of white jugs and said today I'm making something a bit different.

 Chances are we will never know. I have seen enough stoneware jugs to know that even getting the name of the proprietor spelled correctly doesn't seem to have been a huge concern. For a potter the biggest concern was the firing of the kiln. If the kiln fired too hot you end up with burnt and deformed pottery that is usless. If fired to cold you get soft brittle pottery that is also useless and many many hours of work wasted.

 Chris


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## Plumbata (Feb 27, 2011)

The Donagho is the real deal, clearly (thanks for diggin that up surf), but what gets me is the lack of apparent vitrification of the white stenciling on the jug in question. If it was original, it should be vitrified and possess at least some semblance of a gloss, not a uniform flat matte above the brown gloss, right? What would cause it to look powdery, flaky, and pasty if it isn't just common paint added after the jug was fired and the stenciling is indeed original to the jug's manufacture?


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