Question:
I purchased a 20 gallon Red Wing crock at a farm sale about 13 to 14 years ago. I don’t know a lot about Red Wing, but I loved this piece. It is in beautiful condition–the interior glaze is the same color as the exterior. The only "damage" is a small(about 1 inch) shallow chip along the interior rim. The birch leaf is bold and bright, as you can see from the picture, as is the "oval" identifying the manufacturer at the bottom. Can you tell me more about this crock and its possible value? Thank you!

Answer: You have a 20 gallon Red Wing Transition crock with double leaves. These transition crocks were produced for a very short period between the salt glaze and zinc glaze period. Red Wing had just produced the zinc glaze, but had not yet developed the stamp for the gallon-age and red wing. Therefore the gallon-age and decorations were still hand drawn. These cobalt decorations on the zinc glaze are quite striking and highly prized by collectors. These transition crocks do not always have an oval stamped on them. Therefore a transition crock with an oval will always demand a higher value then those without. Looking at your 20 gallon transition crock I would place it’s value at $4000. Al Kohlman