Franciscan Ware was started in California USA.  There they hand decorated, wonderfully sculpted and embossed pieces.  They were affordable and were of quality.  But, like everything else, they sold from original owners to a couple other companies in the US until it was sold to a Company in England and the quality of decoration had deteriorated. 

Some  small peices are only marked by numbers not by the actual label of Franciscan or the trademark.  Examples, the demitasse  only have numbers on most of them. You can easily distinguish these from fakes by clay body color.  THEY MATCH exactly the clay body colors of the other dinnerware.  Also, the newer made items are marked by decal or embossing.

After going to England in the late 70's the marks on the pieces also changed.  Keeping in mind you should do a complete research of the backstamps of the years and marks before you get into actually buying and bidding. Each Backstamp represents a different era.  Most collectors don't have just one backstamp from the US, they have several from each Era.  Mixing US made pieces is acceptable in most collectors.  Each Backstamp represents a different Company in The progression of owners.   

If you have ever held a foriegn made piece you will see the difference in the embossing, it isn't as textured and is smoother (flat in feel) , mainly because foriegn molds were not replaced or recast.  They continued using them until they had no detail.

For example a mold has intense detail in the beginning.  By the 25th pouring it is not as defined, the edges are smoothing and the lines are becoming blurred.  By the 50th pouring the detail is blurring and larger.  By the 100th pouring the detail is gone and the pieces are a different size than they were in the beginning of the molds use.  And if you notice pieces being made today, that is what you are getting.  The plate is thicker and the embossing is gone.  Take a 1950's plate compared to a 1995's plate and you will see a marked difference in weight, thickness and painting detail.  Some of the 1995's and later are actually decals NOT handpainted.  It stated "hand decorated" .

The painting is of lesser quality with the paint being smeared on and not brushstoked and doesn't have the color that the US made pieces will have.  And if you notice Currently available pieces from Department stores isn't made in England, they are not the standard cream color background and are horribly decorated.  They are intensely noticable in difference. When they changed Countries, they changed clay bodies.  The current clay looks pale and lack luster in color.

When bidding and buying online most sellers will give the picture or description of the backstamp and whether the piece is US or England.  US is more valuable.  If it doesn't list it in the auction or listing, ask the seller and to send you a picture.  Otherwise be aware that you are probably getting England or Pakistan and Portugal made pieces.

There is a website you can look up the marks at email me and I will give it to you.  They do not sell anything there they only give you the mark history.   Ebay won't let us post the site.

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You can email me with any additional questions or if you need any other help with the marks  website.