Hocking Glass - Miss America Pattern

Original Miss America was made by Hocking Glass Company, ca. 1935-1938. Authentic colors include crystal, green, ice blue, jadeite and ruby red.

Miss America has been reproduced since the late 1970s. Reproduction shapes include water pitcher (without ice lip), 4½″ ten oz. tumbler, covered butter dish and shakers. New colors include crystal, cobalt blue, green, ice blue, pink and red/orange (amberina). As with many other reproductions, the copies of Miss America are beginning to look more and more like originals.

The first batch of new tumblers made ca. 1970-80s for example were relatively easy to spot: there were only two mold seams around the top rim. Old tumblers have four seams. But now, the reproduction tumblers have four seams just like the original. You now need to look at the bottom of the tumbler to separate new and old (see Figs. 8-11). Although all the information here is believed to be the most current, improvements may have also been made to shapes other than the tumblers.

You can use your black light on clear pieces. Clear crystal Miss America will fluoresce yellow-green under long wave black light. The new clear will not. Be sure to apply the guidelines below only to the specific shape discussed. Reproduction wholesalers are constantly updating and changing their products.

Pattern Details

In general, the pattern on originals is sharper than on the reproductions. The original pattern is composed of a four sided pyramid with the top removed (Fig. 2). On reproductions, there is much greater space between the points at the top of the pyramid giving the appearance of four separate pyramids (Fig. 1).

The pattern on originals also tends to remain sharp and clear even when it follows curves, changes in size from large to small and where the pattern meets handles, rims and bases.

Fig. 1 (Left)
Fig. 2 (Right)

Shakers

The main difference between old and new shakers is the thickness and shape of the glass inside the shaker. On new pieces, this area is only about 2″ deep and almost always ends flat in the bottom. Original shakers are about 2½″ deep and taper to a point.

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Butterdish

Look at the base of the knob from under the lid. Run your fingers over this area. The glass under old knobs bends in (concave) Fig. 6. On new lids, the glass bends out (convex) Fig. 5.

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

Fig. 7

Tumblers

Old tumblers have four mold seams around the top rim and about ¼″ of glass in the bottom (Old). Early reproductions have only two seams at top and about ½″ of glass in the bottom (New-A). Another new tumbler to appear has four mold seams around the top and a deeply recessed bottom (New-B).

Tumblers - Cross Sections of Bottoms

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

Fig. 10

Fig. 11 Location of mold seam at top of tumblers.

Tumbler Bottoms

Fig. 12 Tumbler bottoms: left, a recent reproduction with ¼″ recessed bottom; right, original tumbler with virtually no recess.

Fig. 13 Old tumblers have a mold seam on the bottom ring.
Reproduction tumblers do not have a seam.

Water Pitcher

On old water pitchers there is a bulge or "bump" in the rim directly above the handle. This feature is missing on the reproduction pitchers. So far, only the regular water pitcher has been reproduced; the ice lip water pitcher has not been copied.

Fig. 14

Fig 15.

ACRN Illus

Fig. 16 (Old) The bulge above the handle of an original Miss America water pitcher. In new pitchers, the rim above the handle is smooth, there is no bulge.

Fig. 17 Old pitcher