Question:

an you help with this piece it was in my dad’s home and i don’t know anything about it it has a red wing stoneware marking and a spigot on the bottom  of  it it had some kind of salt left in it  what is it and what was it used for and does it have any value? thank you Lynn

Answer:

Lynn, you do indeed have a .  However, someone must have painted it.  You can strip off the paint with paint stripper and you will not hurt the crock.  The crock was used for canning or dispensing a liquid.    I can’t tell the size without seeing the gallon-age number on the top of the crock.  Also, from your photo, I can see a crack in the back.  I am going to guess it is a 20 gallon crock.  With the crack (depending on how large it is, the value can go anywhere from $40 to $80 if all cleaned up.  Al Kohlman