Question: Hi, I recently purchased this mug, would like any info you can provide.  The mug is 4 5/8″ tall and has black bands and lettering,  It is mint except for a glaze skip and rust stain on the inside.  The general store was listed in the 1907 Watsonville directory.

I looked at the Red Wing Collectibles book by Gail DePasquale and Larry Peterson.  On page 84, center bottom is a mug nearly Identical to mine, same layout, same handle, narrowly placed bands, the only differences being the contents of the stencil and the color of the rings (black instead of blue).  Even the stencil in the book is black.   I think I have one of the earliest examples of the mugs, when black was the predominant color as the company transitioned to Red Wing Union Stoneware.

thanks!

Kevin

Answer: Kevin, I took your information and looked in the Red Wing collectibles book.  After that, I contacted a Red Wing collector friend who specializes in Red Wing advertising mugs. 

It is a Red Wing advertising mug.  He did state that only a few are found with those black rings, but he has one.  So I do apologize for my mistake and am please that you did contact me again to make me dig deeper. 

Value according to this collector is $350 on this mug. 

Thanks for getting back to me and your research.   Nice piece and again, I gained a bit more knowledge on Red Wing Stoneware.  Al