Wedgwood Plate

Q: I have six of these Wedgwood plates marked with the word “Rustic” on a banner across the vase-shaped mark and “Copyright depose 3” below that. They are also marked “Brooklyn, Ovingtons, Chicago” and “ Rd1474.” The word “Wedgwood” is embossed near the marks. How old are these plates and what are they worth?

A: Josiah Wedgwood founded his pottery in England in 1759. Ovingtons, a company that sold china and glassware, was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1845. The company opened a branch in Chicago in 1872. Wedgwood began using a Portland vase in its mark in 1878. “Rustic” is probably the name of the pattern of your plates. “Depose” is French for “registered” and means the design was registered in France. The “Rd” mark indicates the design was registered in England in 1884. Porcelain and other goods imported into the United States had to be marked with the country of origin beginning in 1891, so Ovingtons imported the plates before that year. The price depends on condition and the center design. The border is “Queen Charlotte.” Plates sell for about $15 each.