Return to Home

Mailing List

Contact Us

Clearance

Q & A

Shopping Cart

Homer Laughlin china is dated on the bottom under the seal most of the time.  An example shown below:

This is just one of many backstamps used by HLC.

Eggshell Nautilus Backstamp A 47 indicates this china was made in January, 1947 and the N8 means this was made in Plant No. 8.

Many HLC lines carry a backstamp containing a series of letters and numbers.  The company has provided this information to help you in deciphering these codes:

In 1900 the trademark featured a single numeral identifying the month, a second numeral identifying the year, and a numeral 1, 2, or 3 designating the point of manufacture as East Liverpool, Ohio.

In the period 1910-20, the first figure indicated the month of the year, the next two numbers indicated the year, and the third figure designated the plant.  Number 4 was N, Number 5 was N5, and the East End plant was L.

A change was made for the period of 1921-1930.  The first letter was used to indicate the month of the year such as A for January, B for February, C for March, etc.  The next single digit number was used to indicate the year, and the last figure designated the plant.

For the period 1931-40, the month was expressed as a letter but the year was indicated with two digits.  Plant No. 4 was N, No. 5 was R, No. 6 and No. 7 were C and No. 8 was listed as P.  During this period, E-44R5 would indicate May of 1944 and manufactured by Plant No. 5.  The current trademark has been in use for approximately seventy years, and the numbers are the only indication of the specific years that items were produced.

Identifying Pattern

A lot of times you can find the pattern number stamped inside the covered casserole lid, on the bottom of the oval bakers, vegetable bowls and other serving pieces.  This number is different than the regular backstamp.

Example: The pattern number for Georgian Eggshell Countess Pattern is HLC #G3432 and will be stamped G3432. Eggshell Nautilus, Ferndale is N1577.

Some of the distributors of Homer Laughlin China assigned pattern names and overstamped the Homer Laughlin backstamp with their own backstamp and pattern name.