ShareThisDear Helaine and Joe:
Enclosed are photographs of my antique breakfast set for one. It was given to me in 1971 by my uncle, who said it was an antique. The set included a white plate, a smaller white plate, a large white shallow covered hot oatmeal bowl, a white eggcup, a teapot and a white cup and saucer. The handles are painted green, and the lids have groupings of 3-D flowers. It is marked "Fine Bone China -- Crown" with a picture of a crown, "Est. 1801, Staffordshire, England." I would like to know the value.
Sincerely,
D.J.R., Camillus, N.Y.
Dear D.J.R.:
It would help if we could see the marks on these pieces -- even a crude drawing would have been of some help in determining the exact age, but even without it we think we can still establish the approximate age on this charming set.
Staffordshire has been the heart and soul of the British ceramics industry for hundreds of years. It is in the West Midlands, not far from the Welsh border, and the largest town is Stoke-on-Trent, which has been home to many important potteries.
Thomas Green became involved in the ceramic industry circa 1790, but the family did not rent the "Minerva Works" (the name of their pottery factory) in Fenton, Staffordshire, until 1833. The company continued under various names in the Green family until 1897, when the designation "Crown Staffordshire" first appeared as the name of the firm.
Crown Staffordshire is known for pretty porcelain wares and it made a variety that ranged from dinnerware and breakfast ware to figures of birds, and groupings of three-dimensional flowers held in pots. Most of these are rather small and have been sold widely as souvenir and giftware.
In 1952, the company was listed as the largest maker of china flowers in Britain. In 1965, the Green family association with the company ceased, and in 1973, the company became part of the Wedgwood Group. The name "Crown Staffordshire" was dropped in 1985.
The company is associated with the making of "bone china," a type of artificial porcelain made using bone ash. Bone china has been made for a long time, but pieces marked with that phrase are invariably of 20th-century origin.
Since D.J.R. notes that the phrase "Est. 1801" is part of the mark on her pieces, we are positive that her set could not possibly be an actual "antique" because that piece of information expressed in this way did not appear in the company's mark until the 1930s. This set is probably no more than 60 or 70 years old, and it could be a bit younger than that.
This set certainly harks back to days gone by when milady customarily had breakfast in bed delivered by a member of the household staff. Those days are largely gone now, but this set is a reminder.
As for the value, most of the pieces are plain white, with no hand painting. The decoration is flowers used as finials, and if all the pieces are in excellent condition, the monetary value of this set is between $125 and $175.
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN. 37927. E-mail them at treasures(at)knology.net.)
TREASURES IN YOUR ATTIC
