Pottery & porcelain
The name “Fiesta / U.S.A. / LEAD SAFE / NNNB” appears among Fiesta marks on ceramic dinnerware from Newell, West Virginia, United States.
Original production 1936–1973; reintroduced in 1986 and continues. These are line dates, not the manufacturer’s founding dates.
1996
KKB decodes to 1996, second quarter; the uppercase-F ink design differs from the vintage lowercase stamp.
printed · ceramic dinnerware · Newell, West Virginia, United States
Production-code dates identify the pictured example, not the complete use interval of the design.
2025
NNNB is the 2025 second-quarter code; LEAD SAFE replaces LEAD FREE on this example.
printed · ceramic dinnerware · Newell, West Virginia, United States
Production-code dates identify the pictured example, not the complete use interval of the design.
Undated
The 75th ANNIVERSARY inscription identifies the commemorative format; this employee piece dates to 2010.
printed · ceramic dinnerware · Newell, West Virginia, United States
Production-code dates identify the pictured example, not the complete use interval of the design.
Undated
The separate HL monogram and MADE IN wording differ from the shorter HLC USA version.
impressed · ceramic dinnerware · Newell, West Virginia, United States
Production-code dates identify the pictured example, not the complete use interval of the design.
Undated
The short HLC USA line lacks the standalone HL monogram and MADE IN wording.
impressed · ceramic dinnerware · Newell, West Virginia, United States
Production-code dates identify the pictured example, not the complete use interval of the design.
Undated
Lowercase script f belongs to the vintage ink-stamp family; this rule does not date every clay-impressed f.
printed · ceramic dinnerware · Newell, West Virginia, United States
Production-code dates identify the pictured example, not the complete use interval of the design.
Fiesta dinnerware was introduced by the Homer Laughlin China Company in January 1936 at the Pittsburgh Pottery and Glass Exhibit. Designed by Frederick Hurten Rhead, the range combined simple shapes, concentric rings and strongly coloured glazes. Customers could buy individual pieces and mix colours rather than purchasing a single matching service. The pottery was made at the company’s works in Newell, West Virginia.
The original range included plates, cups, bowls, pitchers and a broad assortment of serving pieces. Red, yellow, cobalt blue, green and ivory formed the first colour group, with other colours and shapes added over the following decades. Its ringed surfaces and distinctive handles linked practical tableware with the streamlined design of the period. Production of the original Fiesta line ended in 1973.
Fiesta returned in 1986 for its fiftieth anniversary, with new colours and a revised ceramic body. The revived range developed its own backstamps, including factory names, production codes and anniversary designs. Impressed marks occur on moulded hollow pieces, while many flat pieces carry an ink stamp beneath the glaze. Both methods remain part of Fiesta’s marking history.
Also known as: Fiestaware · Fiesta ware · Fiesta dinnerware, Homer Laughlin China Company / The Fiesta Tableware Company
Another Homer Laughlin coloured-dinnerware line. Its shapes and geometric surfaces differ from Fiesta’s graduating concentric rings; a Homer Laughlin mark alone does not name the line.
Related Homer Laughlin coloured ware with different shapes, often angular or scalloped. Match the complete shape as well as the company initials.
