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(click to enlarge)
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The US mail (box) made by McCoy
pottery was once thought to be a reliable piece to add to your
collection. Today, this isn't true. Although the
REAL McCoy mailbox wall pocket is still highly sought out by
collectors, the reproduction has created much confusion.
Luckily for us, there are several easy
ways to identify the REAL piece from the reproduction. |
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The size, as always, is a
true give-a-way that a piece is not authentic. The
reproduction wall pocket is slightly smaller than the
original. The size discrepancy is created because of the
way the reproduction piece is made.
| |
REAL |
Reproduction |
| Height |
6
3/4" - 7" |
6
1/4" - 6 1/2" |
| Colors |
DARK
GREEN
ONLY |
Green,
Yellow, Pink,
Blue, Aqua,  White |
| Markings |
McCoy
USA |
McCoy
USA |
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The color is also an easy way to identify
this piece as a reproduction. The original piece was
created ONLY in a dark green glossy glaze. There may be a
few one of a kind originals that have a different glaze on them,
but they were only PRODUCED (in quantity) by McCoy Pottery
with this green glaze. The reproduction pieces on
the other hand have several different colors. Right now,
the only colors that are known are green, yellow, pink, blue and
aqua. This does not mean in any way that these are the
ONLY colors that are produced...these are just the ones we know
about right now. |
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| Unfortunately, the markings on
the bottom do not help in identifying a reproduction piece from
a fake, as both pieces are marked, "McCoy USA".
This particular example shows the real piece with a much clearer
mark, however, this is not always the case.
Looking from the back the pieces are also
very similar, with no distinguishing marks to identify the real
from the reproduction. |
(click to enlarge)
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NOTE:
A special thanks to Craig Nissen, co-author of McCoy
Pottery: Reference & Value Guide, Vol. I, II & III
for his help and expertise, along with the photos on this page!
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