Undated
PFALTZGRAFF / COPYRIGHT / U S A
COPYRIGHT is set between the maker name and U S A; compare the STONEWARE variant.
moulded · body colour · ceramic; stoneware on the domestic dinnerware examples · York, Pennsylvania, United States
Pottery & porcelain
Pfaltzgraff marks
Pfaltzgraff marks include castles with COPYRIGHT or STONEWARE; U S A and CHINA distinguish backstamps across dinnerware patterns.
- Active years
- From 1811
- Country
- United States
- City / region
- York, Pennsylvania
- Products
- stoneware crocks and jugs, flowerpots, art pottery, kitchenware, dinnerware
- Marks
- 5
1811 is the traditional business-origin date; the George and Henry partnership dates to 1889. Assets acquired by Lifetime Brands in 2005; the brand continues.
What to look for
- Read the line below PFALTZGRAFF: STONEWARE, COPYRIGHT, U S A and CHINA separate otherwise similar castle marks.
- Check every shape in a dinner service: the pattern name can continue across different backstamps and countries of manufacture.
Dated marks & timeline
5 marks
Undated
The Circle of Kindness / Jana Kolpen © 2006 Mary Tiegreen / Pfaltzgraff / MADE IN CHINA
The named collaboration and © 2006 distinguish this pattern-specific stamp; 2006 is a copyright year.
printed · black · ceramic; stoneware on the domestic dinnerware examples · China
Undated
PFALTZGRAFF / COPYRIGHT / CHINA
CHINA identifies the country of manufacture; it differs from the U S A version.
printed · black · ceramic; stoneware on the domestic dinnerware examples · China
Undated
THE PFALTZGRAFF POTTERY CO. / YORK, PA.
The full pottery-company name circles the York address; it differs from the later castle emblems.
printed · black · ceramic; stoneware on the domestic dinnerware examples · York, Pennsylvania, United States
Undated
PFALTZGRAFF / STONEWARE / U S A
STONEWARE replaces COPYRIGHT beneath the name.
moulded · body colour · ceramic; stoneware on the domestic dinnerware examples · York, Pennsylvania, United States
About Pfaltzgraff
Pfaltzgraff grew from a family pottery business in York County, Pennsylvania, into a large producer of household ceramics. The business traces its origins to 1811. Early wares served everyday needs: earthenware vessels, salt-glazed storage crocks, jugs and flowerpots. George and Henry Pfaltzgraff formed a partnership in 1889. In 1894 the brothers built a larger factory beside a railway, allowing the pottery to reach customers beyond the distance covered by local wagon deliveries.
During the 1930s Pfaltzgraff made art pottery as well as utilitarian wares. Kitchenware expanded during the following decade, including the ringed Ceramex line and Gourmet baking and serving pieces. Dinnerware became a major part of the business after the Second World War. Heritage appeared in 1963, followed by other long-running patterns such as Yorktowne and Village. These ranges used sturdy ceramic bodies and coordinated serving shapes as well as individual place settings.
In July 2005 Lifetime Brands acquired the business and certain assets of The Pfaltzgraff Co. The Pfaltzgraff name continued as a dinnerware and tabletop brand. Older American-made pieces and later imported versions can carry different country wording beneath the same pattern name.
Also known as: The Pfaltzgraff Pottery Co. · Pfaltzgraff Stoneware Co. · The Pfaltzgraff Company
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart
Other American stoneware marked only USA
USA alone identifies an origin, not Pfaltzgraff. Look for the full Pfaltzgraff name and castle, or the earlier York pottery-company stamp.
Williamsburg Pottery
Colonial-style stoneware and a pot-shaped keystone can prompt confusion. Pfaltzgraff examples have the P/YORK device or the full company name; Williamsburg is a separate Virginia pottery.