Identifying Fenton Glass pieces can sometimes be a little difficult as not all pieces are marked, however there are some tips that help to identify this American Companies work and sometimes even date it. Before the 1970's Fenton did not embed its logo into the bottom of pieces which can make it difficult to identify something as a true Fenton. During the 70's Fenton started embedding their logo into most of their products and followed suite in years after.
1970 – 1979: Produced in the 70's Decade
Fenton logo featured the word "Fenton" in script enclosed in an oval.
- 1970: "Carnival Glass" only which has also been referred to as "Iridescent Ware".
- 1972 -1973: Added to the "Hobnail" line and some other items
- 1975 – 1979: Featured on almost all of Fenton's items
1980 – 1989: Produced in the 80's Decade
Fenton logo featured the word "Fenton" in script with an "8" under it, enclosed in an oval. This was added to Fenton molds.
1980: 75th Anniversary Collection
Fenton 75th Anniversary Logo featured "75Th".
1983 – 1989: Produced in 80's Decade Acquired by McKee or other glass companies
McKee acquired moulds featured a script "F" in an oval followed by an "8"
1985: 80TH Anniversary Collection
Fenton 80th Anniversary logo featured "FENTON" in caps and underlined with "80th" underneath.
1990 – 1999: Produced in the 90's Decade
Fenton logo featured the word "Fenton" in script with a "9" under it, enclosed in an oval. This was added to Fenton molds. It was also added to U.S. Glass, Verlys and Paden City moulds used at the Fenton factory.
1990 – 1999: Produced in 90's Decade Acquired by McKee or other glass companies
McKee acquired moulds featured a script "F" in an oval followed by a "9".
1990: Seconds from the early 1990's Decade
Fenton Seconds were marked with a "Flame" Symbol that looked like an "S".
1995: 90th Anniversary Collection: Historic Collection
Fenton 90th Anniversary logo featured "90th"
1996 – 1998: Preferred Seconds sold primarily in the Fenton Gift Shop
- Preferred Seconds featured a star shape that was solid (filled in) or open (not filled in) found on the bottom or sides of items.
- Double Stars were featured on items donated to Williamstown, West Virginia organizations for fund raisers.
- Preferred Seconds sold primarily in the Fenton Gift Shop after August 1998 featured a solid "F"
2000 – 2009: Produced in the years 2000 before 2010
Fenton logo featured the word "Fenton" in script with a "0" under it, enclosed in an oval. This will be seen on most glassware from Fenton retailers.
2000: 95 Year Historic Collections
Historic collections which were Lotus Mist Burmese and Willow Green Opalescent featured a "95" within a circle.
2010 – 2019: Produced in the years 2010 – 2019
Fenton logo featured the word "Fenton" in script with a "1" under it, enclosed in an oval
1980 – 2010: Sandblasted Fenton Logo when mould or blown glass logo wasn't readable
- Fenton logo featured "Fenton" in script with an "8", "9" or "0" below it inside a separated oval. "8", "9" or "0" represent the year the piece was made
- Fenton logo featured "F" done in Calligraphy
Another great way to identify a possible Fenton is by identifying Fenton Artist Signatures that may be on pieces that don't have logos. Here are some key artists involved with creating Fenton pieces:
Handpaint (Hand Paint) Artisans:
Kim Barley
Louise Piper
Martha Reynolds
JK "Robin" Spindler
Michelle Kibbe
Stacy Williams
Glass Artisans:
Frank O. Meyers
Robert Bomkamp
Ron Hinkle
Wayne King
Kelsey Murphy
Master Craftsman:
Dave Fetty
Frank Workman
As a longer but option to identify Fenton pieces that don't feature the logo are to reference Fenton Catalogs from the past and present and identify your product within. This obviously takes longer than just identifying a logo on a piece.
As you can see there are several ways to identify a genuine Fenton piece. Some are easy and some a little more difficult but if you really want to know the true origin of your piece these are some great steps to follow.
