Question:
I have a Red Wing piece that on the front of it has a 20, four leaves, and beneath that inside of an oval the words Union Stoneware Company, Red Wing, Minnesota. It has no cracks and appears to me to be in perfect condition. It has curved handles on the sides that are actually part of the crock. I also have a round press that fits inside the crock that has the number 20 on it in blue curvy numbers and it has 1/2" holes in the bottom and on the sides. On one side of the press, inside of a box outlined in blue it says in blue lettering, "Koverwate – Use it when packing your meats Kraut Pickles and other foods put up in brine. It will save spoilage. Red Wing Union Stoneware Co., Red Wing, Minnesota." The press has no cracks or chips and appears to be in perfect condition. The crock also has a round lid with a petal design on the top and a handle knob in the center that has a 20 on it. The lid has no markings on it to indicate that it’s Red Wing but it fits the crock perfectly. The lid has one very small chip in it on the inside lip. I didn’t realize there were different types of glazes until I started reading your website so I am unsure what type of glaze it has. I am interested to know anything you can tell me about this piece, including its estimated value. If you need photos, let me know, and I will try to provide them. Thank you for your help. Vicki

Answer: Vicki, lets talk pieces here and not piece. So lets start with the 20 gallon crock. Your crock was manufactured by the Minnesota Stoneware Company between 1895 & 1906. In 1906, the Minnesota Stoneware Company merged with the Red Wing Stoneware Company and the red wing was used on the crocks after this time. In mint condition your crock will have a value between $250 & $300.

Next is your Red Wing Koverwate. Red Wing produced Koverwates in sizes 3,4,5,6,10,15, 20 & 25 gallon sizes. Note: I have never seen the 6 or 25 gallon sizes. I believe these were manufactured from the early 1920′s and well into the 1930′s. They were used for canning of vegetables and meats that were cured in Red Wing crocks by holding the content of the crock below the brine that was used to cure the product (there’s a mouth full). Your 20 gallon Koverwate in mint condition is valued between $350 & $400.

Lastly, from the description of your button lid with the 20 embossed in the button and petals design on the top of the lid, makes me feel quite strongly that your lid is Red Wing. You do mention a differently glaze on the lid which must be of a tone unlike your crock or Koverwate. The button lids came before the bar lids and after the salt glaze era. You could possibly have a Red Wing salt glazed lid or the top of the lid could have a salty color from being fired in a kiln that was coated with salt. In order for me to give you a true value on the lid, I would need to see a photo of the top and bottom of the lid. A true salt glazed lid would have a dark Albany slip glaze under the lid, where the zinc glazed lid would have a creamy white glaze under the lid, but brownish on top. The difference in value between a zinc glaze lid to a salt glaze lid will go from $300 to well over a $1000. Therefore, send me a photo of the lid and we will go from there. You have a nice Red Wing Stoneware set here. Al Kohlman