Identifying Vintage Glass Patterns & Makers

Glass rarely carries a signature, so identification runs on pattern, color, and the small physical tells on the base. Learn a dozen patterns and you can name half of what you’ll see at any Wisconsin flea.

The patterns you’ll actually meet

Hobnail: raised bumps in ordered rows — Fenton’s signature, especially in milk glass. Coin dot: larger, flatter dots, usually opalescent. Thumbprint: concave ovals. Swirl/spiral: twisted ribs. On tableware, pressed “Depression glass” patterns (Cherry Blossom, Princess, American Sweetheart) each have reference names — one clear photo against a pattern guide settles it.

Maker tells

Fenton didn’t mark most glass before 1973; the molded oval “Fenton” logo dates a piece after that. Westmoreland used a WG monogram, Imperial an IG. Anchor Hocking’s Fire-King is usually marked on the base. Unmarked + correct pattern + correct color is how most attributions actually get made.

Depression vs. Elegant glass

Both are 1920s–40s, but they’re different animals: Depression glass was cheap, machine-pressed, given away in cereal boxes — expect mold seams and small flaws. Elegant glass (Fostoria, Cambridge, Heisey) was hand-finished with polished bases and fire-polished rims, and it prices accordingly.

Tests worth carrying a flashlight for

A UV torch makes uranium glass glow unmistakably green. A base worn from decades of table contact shows a soft ring of fine random scratches — reproductions show either none or artificial uniform sanding. And chips hide on hobnails and under rims: run a fingertip over every edge before money changes hands.