Question:

Hello, dear Red Wing experts. I bought recently the Red Wing plate which seems old. I could not find anything about it on internet. Could you, please, tell me how old is it? How much it costs? Thank you, Olga

Answer:

The plate in the photo is not a standard Red Wing production item.  Most likely it is a “lunch hour” piece made by a pottery worker for personal use.  It could also be a test piece for a potential new pattern that was not put into production.  The pinkish-red Red Wing ink stamp was used from 1950 to 1957.  Are there any other markings on the bottom of the plate?  The plate shape appears to be from the Provincial line but the photo is too small to be certain.  A photo of the entire bottom of the plate would also be helpful.

Red Wing lunch hour and test plates are unique pieces and can have significant value.  The value depends on condition of the plate, quality of the artwork, whether or not the artwork is interesting, and markings on the bottom of the plate.  Lunch hour pieces were usually signed or initialed by the artist on the bottom.  Some were made as gifts and have the recipient’s name or a phrase such as “Happy Mother’s Day” on the bottom.  Test pieces are often marked with glaze codes on the bottom.

From what I can tell this plate appears to be in good condition. I would give this plate a value of at least $500, possibly more depending on the presence of additional markings.  Cracks, chips, staining and other flaws will reduce the value significantly.  This is a very desirable piece!

Larry