How Old is My Cup?

How to Identify Antique Dinnerware

Antique dinnerware is often passed from generation to generation. Tableware can include china dinner plates, salad plates, dessert plates, cups and saucers. Often an entire set may be passed down, which increases its value. Whether you inherited antique dinnerware from a family member, or purchased some of your own at an antique store or even a yard sale, you should find out its worth. Follow these tips to help you identify your antique dinnerware.

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Examine the characteristics of the china. Antique china will have certain qualities that distinguish it from modern dinnerware.

• Look at the shape of the plates. Prior to the 1950s, most antique china plates were round, with the exception of some art deco pieces in the 1920s. Check to see if the plates are rim plates or coupe plates. Rim plates contain a second circle indented inside the plate, while coupe plates are all one diameter in shape.
• Look at the pattern of your china. Look at the colors and designs, such as floral patterns, trimmed edges, etc. Not only will this allow you to compare your pattern to other images, it can lead you in the direction of identifying the manufacturer of your antique china. Different china manufacturers were often known for specifically themed patterns. For instance, Haviland was known to create china with soft floral displays, while Wedgwood produced a series of patterns with portraits or Greek classical scenes.
• Check the quality of the dinnerware. The set should be consistent in pattern and color. The glaze should not be bubbled or cracked, and the pieces should be completely level so that they don't wobble when laid on the table.

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   Look for a back stamp or "marker" stamp. This is the easiest way to identify your dinnerware, although in some cases the stamps may have faded. Examine the bottom of the dinnerware. Look for a marking that is painted, impressed or stamped on the piece. It may be very small, but will usually include an emblem of some sort, the name of the manufacturer, and possibly numbers indicating the class or date of the piece.
2. 3 Utilize references from the library or bookstore to match your patterns or marker stamp. Look under the Arts and Collectibles sections in your local library or book store for books on antiques dinnerware, or look for the specific name on your dinnerware stamp, such as Limoges or Wedgwood, to find books about those particular manufacturers.
3. 4 Search on the Internet for replacement china. There are many websites that focus on selling or helping to identify replacement pieces for your china sets. Replacements.com, for instance, has an alphabetical list of china manufacturer's, along with pictures that you can match to your pieces. They also have instructions for mailing or emailing a picture of your dinnerware to them to help you identify it.
4. A neat replacement website is:  http://www.replacements.com
5. 5 Use the information you have gathered to determine the age of your antique dinnerware. Once you have identified the manufacturer of the dinnerware, you can further research its age. The age of a piece of china can be determined by the color of the stamp, the numbers on it and the patterns on the china. For instance, large companies like Wedgwood, Derby and Worcester all used specific numbers, symbols and colors to designate the year of production. 

Another great method I found is the following:

1. Carefully examine the tea cup and saucer by looking for any manufacturer's or country marks under the cup and/or saucer. Use a magnifying glass, if necessary, to read any words or numbers that may be hard to see clearly. Write the marks down on the notepad.

2. Look up the marks in a porcelain manufacturer's marks book. Check under the company name or marks, looking for an exact match of the cup and saucer's mark, to determine a date of manufacture.

3. Note any special features such as gilding or cup or saucer shape. Hold the cup up to the light to see if it is translucent as in fine china.

4. Check an antiques guidebook for any information about the marks of specific tea cups, as well as pictures of similar examples to compare with.

5. Do an online search using the porcelain manufacturer or pattern names in the mark. Search any website results for information about identifying marks or features, as well as images to compare with.

6.Go to eBay.com, and search for the manufacturer or pattern name to find a similar or the same cup and saucer, as well as additional information. Compare the design, marks, color and description of matching cups and saucers, and note for future reference.

7. Contact a licensed appraiser knowledgeable in old porcelain tea cups and saucers or a longtime collector for more information and help in identifying a piece if the cup and saucer is unmarked or there is not enough information.