How Do You Date a Piece of Homer Laughlin China?
Date a piece of Homer Laughlin china by locating the mark on the piece, finding the date code and deciphering the date code. The timing of this depends on how quickly you can decipher the date code. You need a piece of Homer Laughlin china and a database or book for the date codes.
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Locate the pottery mark
Locate the pottery mark on the piece of Homer Laughlin china. Often it is found on the bottom of the piece.
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Find the date code
Find the date code. It is located at the bottom of the mark. For instance, the code at the bottom of one mark reads, “J 39 N 8.” The J 39 is the date code while the N 8 is code for the plant where the piece was produced.
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Decipher the date code
Pull out your Homer Laughlin database or book to help you decipher the date code. From 1911 to 1921, the date codes had no letters, just numbers. For instance, a piece made in Jan. 1916 has a date code of 1 6. The one represents January, and the 6 represents 1916. By 1922, date codes changed to a letter and a number. A date code for Jan. 1922 is A 2. A is January. This changed again in 1960 when the code became just letters. A piece made in Jan. 1960 has a code of A A. The first letter is the year and the second letter is the month. The code changed in 1986 by dividing the year into quarters and giving them the letters A, B, C and D.
