McCoy Pottery Recognizing an Original
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This 20th century company is well-known both for its artware and universal lines of tableware, as well as ornamental pieces and down-to-earth pottery of numerous kinds. The majority of its fine artware which is ardently sought after was produced prior to 1930. As was the case with a number of other pottery companies, as a decrease on artware, production became essential throughout the Depression of the 1930’s, and only essential merchandise was wanted by the public. Brush-McCoy’s lines of fashionable and well priced wares fared exceptionally well in stores throughout the country. They continued through hardship an emerged to expand the company in the 1940’s and 1950’s from sales via mail order through major catalogue houses. Today the obtainable diversity of Brush-McCoy now, offers a wide assortment for the consumers’ personal preference and price-range.

Brush-McCoy Pottery was original established as the J.W. McCoy Pottery Company, located in Roseville, Ohio “clay country.” It seems that the company launched with remarkable ambitious beginning, after it was incorporated in 1899. J.W. McCoy allegedly had $15,000 in capital to invest within two years had proliferate this investment into $100,000. In 1909, George Brush joined the organization, after a pottery facility he supervised was ruined because of fire. Nevertheless, it was not until two years later that the name developed into Brush-McCoy. J.W. McCoy was not an officer in the newly restructured Brush-McCoy Pottery Co. Two reasons could be accredited to his lack of interest. In 1910, McCoy and son Nelson founded “The Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Co., also in Roseville, Ohio. There was also an assumption that McCoy’s physical condition was failing since he died only three years later. Following McCoy’s death in 1914, Nelson McCoy served on the Brush-McCoy Board of Directors until 1918. The name McCoy was dropped from the corporation in 1925.

Marks

Numerous marks were used throughout the company lifespan and innovative style inherently from the diverse product lines. In earlier times leading up to the Depression, McCoy infrequently marked any of its art pottery and therefore identification must be completed on the foundation of style, later its artware was routinely marked. The commonly found mark (used on later wares) is the forename BRUSH in block capitals with blooming serifs on the first and last letters. This is above the initials USA. There are several varieties of this mark and variations are not of great facilitate in dating as there were frequently used simultaneously. A number of earlier marks made a play on the word “Brush,” depicting the artist brush and sometimes be accompanied by an inkwell or a palette. Beginning in the late 1930’s it was customary for the object’s mold number to materialize in the mark. Frequently the Floraline mark is seen on McCoy pottery from 1940-1945, make no mistake this is McCoy pottery. In addition, it should be noted that only a diminutive percentage of pieces marked USA are actually McCoy. There seems to be a general misconception that if a piece is marked USA it is McCoy, this is not the case; Shawnee Pottery used the USA mark much more than McCoy. When looking at an USA only marking the U & A are equally level from the top & bottom the “S” is only slightly below the U & A in block serifs. The Collector of Brush-McCoy is assured to discover far more from studying the artware pottery styles and colors themselves than from studying the McCoy mark exclusively.

Recognizing an Original

McCoy popularity has fashioned a number scrupulous companies to replicate pottery and forgery marks. Being well-educated in your discipline as a collector and/or antique dealer is the primary step in being prepared against fraud. 

• Check the bottom of the piece for the McCoy marking early pieces does not have any marks. Thereafter a shield with a number inside a circle was fashioned. Potteries made throughout the 1940’s have an overlapped N and M; those in later production illustrate McCoy USA. Floraline is marked in clearly stated block font and USA maybe the only mark you see (please read above statement for further information). 

• Evaluate the dimension of the item copies are made by creating a mold from an authentic McCoy. When fired the ceramic shrinks an imposter is less significant than an original piece. Take the time to view reference books at your local library or online most cities and towns have implemented their libraries for Internet entry (note: you need a library card to access the database) books on McCoy pottery will often include dimensions of the originally produced item. 

• Scrutinize the raised designs that embellish the pottery, copies will not have the same sharpness of detail as original McCoy pottery and they have a tendency to weigh less. Try befriending a collector or use the eBay bulletin boards to communicate with other McCoy collectors, friendships are formed by the littlest of kindness and effort.

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Written by Nolan of Annetiques, Inc., Langhorne, PA.

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