Question:
Hi I recently came across a salt crock without its lid at an estate auction. There is no marking on the bottom of the crock but it looks like someone wrote on the bottom (small letters) circa 1870-1890. I am not sure if it is Red Wing or what it is. It seems to be in very good condition for its age. It could use a cleaning but I didn\’t want to do that in the case I wasn\’t supposed to. If you could help me out on the history and worth of this piece I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks-Molly

Answer: Molly, your salt box is not Red Wing. I have seen this stenciling on salt boxes with the Greek Key design embossed on the bottom of the salt box and lid. However, I have never seen this stenciling on a plain salt crock. Cleaning your salt box will not hurt it’s value, so go ahead and clean it up. I do not know who the manufacturer is, but still think it would have a value in the area of $100 to $125 without the lid. Al Kohlman