|
Originals |
Reproductions |
Ceramic
material
and lithophanes
(The large majority of reproduction regimental steins are made of
porcelain
with a lithophane in the base.) |
Generally
no
markings except for occasional mold numbers. If marked, the most common
producers are Merkelbach & Wick and "Paul Klutsch, Coblenz".
Porcelain steins are similarly unlikely to be marked. Lithophanes
typically
portray a soldier and sweetheart, mother and sweetheart reading a
letter, or an
indoor/outdoor tavern scene. They are never erotic.
Original regimental steins are not stamped "Germany" on the base. |
Pottery
reproductions frequently display the trademark of Simon Peter Gerz,
Höhr-Grenzhausen.
Porcelain reproductions often use lithophanes of a nude or partially
nude
woman (see images below).
The word "Germany" is frequently stamped on the base. |
Bodies |
May
be either
straight-sided or tapered bodies. Often there is a large amount of
hand-painted
"fill-in" on the design: for example, you can feel the buttons on the
soldiers' tunics. The scenes on the body are all from a single branch
of service
- infantry, artillery, etc. - and never mixed (e.g., airplanes and
Zeppelins).
The dates of service are consistent with the uniforms and equipment
depicted. (A
stein dated 1888 should not illustrate a 1905 locomotive or 1902 Maxim
machine
gun.) |
Tapered
body shapes
are common, and the use of transfer designs which were intended for
cylindrical
bodies will result in misalignment of the design on both sides of the
handle.
Reproductions often depict designs at the base and lip representing
such
patterns as twisted rope, interlocking acorn, leaves, etc. These
designs are
never found on originals. The transfer design is predominantly smooth,
with
little evidence of hand-painted fill-in. Scenes may be of mixed
branches of the
service, or inconsistent with the finial and thumblift. |
Handles |
The
entire inside
and outside curvature is smooth with no "bumps". The rear of the
handle is either plain, has a simple straight stripe along its axis, or
shows a
stylized floral design. |
Approximately
90%
of all reproduction steins made to date have the characteristic "bump"
on the inside of the handle. This "bump" is never found on originals.
The rear of the handle almost always has some sort of design, and if it
differs
from the two mentioned at left, the stein is a repro! |
Thumblifts |
Thumblifts
typically symbolize army corps district in which the reservist served.
E.g., the
lion represents Bavaria or Hesse; the Griffin, Baden; the Eagle,
Prussia; etc.
The thumblifts were seldom "stylized" except on pre-1900 steins. |
Typical
thumblifts
on reproduction steins do not match the Army Corps district indicated
by the
scenes and the writing on the stein body. They frequently consist of
"imaginary" shapes or figures, such as serpent heads or gargoyles,
etc. |
Lids
and Finials |
The
outside of the
lid is normally darker than the inside due to natural oxidation from
exposure to
the air. The finial always matches the branch of service indicated on
the body.
If a man's figure is included in the final, his uniform should be the
same as
that shown on the body scenes. This is especially true of the hat,
which is
often the most distinctive part of the uniform. |
The
pewter lid may
show a uniform darker color both inside and out, which is a clear sign
that it
has been dipped in chemicals to simulate oxidation. The finials are
frequently
chosen for their appeal instead of being matched to the branch of
service. A
horse and rider (cavalry) are as likely to be found on an infantry
stein as a
man with pick and shovel (pioneer) is to be found on a naval stein. |