How To Collect and Buy Ironstone Plates – A Beginner’s Guide
Local Resources
Ironstone collectibles such as ironstone plates date back to when Charles James Mason registered ‘Patent Ironstone China’ for the Mason Family partnership in July 1813.
While the ‘Patent’ was real enough, trade marking and selling ironstone was a great marketing feat since it is not made of porcelain and the iron content less than half of one per cent, unlike Mason’s published recipe which describes in detail the ironstone and iron slag components.
Charles Mason went to great lengths to compete, misinform and even discredit the other 172 ironstone manufacturers in Staffordshire – many trading off the success of the Mason’s.
Mason’s plan proved to be a marketing triumph; the new ironstone was hard and durable while copying Oriental designs from Chinese porcelain imports. Everyone wanted it.
And they still do – so knowing what to look for is a great investment in time and money. Markings, collectability, history and pricing are all necessary in the landscape of ironstone.
While originally designed by Englishman Charles Mason it didn’t take long before there were other ironstone manufacturers to Mason to compete with. But Mason was considered the master of ironstone. Mason’s reputation was in part attributed to the way he sold his goods. Unlike most others selling either by catalog or door to door Mason auctioned his pieces.
Related Information
Ironstone remains highly collectible in the United States and around the world and start as low as thirty dollars to a few hundred dollars, even thousands for rarer items.
Markings on the bottom of each piece include words stamped such as CJ Mason & Co., M Mason, 
Fenton Stone Works, or Lane Delph as the more valuable manufacturers and often accompanied with markings of crowns or a coat of arms.
Other manufacturers of ironstone include Spode, Turner & Tomkinson, Wedgewood, Wood & Sons, J&G Meakin, T & R Boote and Birks Bros. & Seddon.
Scour the internet stores for information and pricing on ironstone china before making an expensive purchase. This knowledge will help you collect at the right price so you can continue collecting and enjoying your ironstone plates.
