Jack Broas
Mar 17, 2023
History of C. G. Shafer Co. Zanesville, Ohio
The Spaulding pieces that have the Gold Trim and the "23K Shafer Gold Guaranteed" stamped on the bottom are very sought after pieces. Shafer Pottery was based at 542 Merrick Ave. in Zanesville, OH. It subcontracted American Pottery to produce its line of pottery for a while. During the 1940's and 1950's it was known for applying 23K Liquid Gold Trim to pottery that was subcontracted for other companies, most notably Spaulding, McCoy, and Shawnee to name a few. It also sourced pieces mainly seconds from Spaulding, McCoy, Shawnee and others to apply the liquid gold trim to each piece and then sell in their own catalog. Second were pieces that maybe had slight factory flaws that were caught at final inspection and pulled out and sold off as seconds or "B" grade. The above pages are shown from their catalog. Collectors identify mid 40's and 50's Shafer pieces by their distinctive gold ornamentation and definitive indicator "Shafer 23K Gold Guaranteed" markings usually stamped on the bottom.
Shafer gold gilded many brands of pottery that were produced around Ohio. Ohio was the "hotbed" of art pottery in and around the mid 19th century. They had a license from the federal government to use 23K Gold in their detailing process. You can find detailed catalog pages of Shafer Pottery trimmed in gold and other prominent potteries from around Ohio that had catalog pages with photos of the gold trimmed pieces.