These pieces do not have the “McCoy” name on them and in most cases, they do not carry any markings. Several may have a USA mark but, as we know, many of the pottery companies marked their wares with “USA” starting in the 1940s for the main purpose of informing the buyer it was not an import.

What is McCoy USA pottery?

McCoy is a brand of pottery that was produced in the United States in the early 20th century. It is probably the most collected pottery in the nation. Starting in 1848 by J.W. McCoy Stoneware company, they established the Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Company in 1910.

What is pottery marked USA?

The USA stamp identifies the piece as American made, although it could have been produced by any one of many American pottery companies. The most prolific users of the USA mark were Shawnee and McCoy. Identify the true unfinished color of the piece by examining any unglazed areas on the bottom.

How old is USA pottery?

It is not known when humans first migrated to the Americas, but it was at least 12,000 years ago and more likely many thousands of years before that. The earliest known pottery in North America has been identified in the Southeastern United States and dated at about 4,000 years of age.

What is the oldest American pottery?

The oldest archeological sites where South American pottery has been discovered are on the Columbia and Ecuador coasts, and date back to 3500-3000 BCE. In North America, the first pottery is known as the Stallings series. It was made around 2500 BCE in what is now the coastal area of South Carolina and Georgia.