Mitterteich Silver and Porcelain Coffee Set

Q: My demitasse coffee set consists of a pot, 6 cups and saucers, a sugar, and a creamer. The pieces have a white porcelain interior and a sterling silver exterior. The pot is 6 1/2 inches tall and has a raffia wrapped handle. The bottoms of the coffeepot, sugar, and creamer are silver and are marked “Sterling Silver on Porcelain” and “Foreign.” The cups and saucers are porcelain covered with a thin layer of silver and are marked with what looks like a flower over the letter “M” and “Bavaria.” The words “Arboix, Colon, Sterling-Silver” are written in green script underneath the mark. A note on old adhesive tape on the bottom of the pot says “Purchased in Panama 1933.” There is some light wear to pieces where a person would hold them. Can you give me some information and valuation?

 

A: This mark was used by Porcelain Factory Mitterteich in Mitterteich, Bavaria, Germany, between 1931 and 1945. The factory was founded at Mitterteich in 1887. There were several changes in ownership and it became Porcelain factory Mitterteich in 1918. It closed in 2006. The pieces in your set were made of porcelain and then the silver was applied. The coffeepot, sugar, and creamer are worth about $125, cups and saucers about $20 each. Your set with six cups and saucers is worth about $245.

 

1916 Bavaria Plate

Q: Can you tell me anything about this Bavaria hand-painted plate? It’s marked with three conjoined initials, “Bavaria,” and the words “hand painted 1916.”

 

A: The initials “PMS” stand for Paul Muller Selb. The Paul Muller Porcelain Factory started in Selb, Bavaria, in 1890. It became a branch of L. Hutschenreuther’s porcelain factory in 1917 and closed about 1957. This mark was used from 1890 to 1917. The plate would sell for about $10 to $15 on eBay.

 

 

Gareis Bavaria Plate

Q: Do you know anything about this plate, where it’s from and possible value? “It’s marked Gareis, Bavaria.”

 

A: This mark was used by Gareis, Kuhnl & Co. in Waldsassen, Germany, between 1950 and 1969. The company started in 1898 when Emanuel Gareis and Joseph Kuhnl and two other men bought a bankrupt pottery in Waldsassen. It made tableware that was sold in Germany and also exported to other countries. Gareis, Kuhnl & Co. became a subsidiary of Waldsassen Bareuther & Co. in 1969. The pottery closed in 1994. Your Gareis, Kuhnl plate might sell for about $20. 

 

B.R.C. Mark

Q: I’ve been trying to find some information on the date of this china marking and can’t seem to find out anything. It’s marked with a crown and “B.R.C.” over “Chantilly” and next to that “Bavaria.” Can you tell me who made this plate?

A: This mark was used by Bauer, Rosenthal & Co., a company that started in Kronach, Bavaria, Germany, about 1897. It made dinnerware and decorative porcelain. Your plate is Chantilly pattern. This mark was used beginning in 1898. The company was bought by Philip Rosenthal & Co. in 1903 and the mark continued to be used. Rosenthal was bought by the Waterford Wedgwood Group in 1997 and by Sambonet Paderno Industries, headquartered in Orfengo, Novara, Italy, in 2009. Rosenthal china is still being made in Bavaria.