Question:
I got this 5 gal butter churn a couple of years ago. It is 17" tall,Is 10" across the top and bottom and has a 35&1/2" "waist" I don’t know what kind of glaze it is. It has a small glaze chip on the top rim just above the handle. Also a 3&1/2" hairline crack on the inside below the handle. It doesn’t show through to the outside and the sound rings when I give it a knock. The label on the front is 2&1/2"w X 1&1/2" h .There are no lid or dasher. I would like to know when it was made and what it may be worth.

Answer: You have a very nice looking Minnesota Stoneware Company 5 gallon reverse oval birchleaf churn. The glaze on your churn is called zinc glaze. In mint condition it would have a value between $350 & $400. With the damage (it may seem small to you, but to a collector it is still damage) it would reduce the value of your churn to half (around $200). Al Kohlman