Pressed Glass
Also called pattern glass, EAPG.
Typical period: 1830–1890
Mass-produced from the 1820s onward by pressing molten glass into a mould, which made patterned glass affordable for the first time. It is routinely sold as cut glass, which it is not, and the difference is in the sharpness of the edges.
What you are looking at
Glass with a moulded pattern, often geometric or floral, with a smooth interior and a patterned exterior, and visible seams running up the sides.
How to date it
- Mould seams running up the body — pressed glass has them, cut glass does not.
- A rough pontil scar on the base indicates hand finishing and an earlier date.
- Lacy pressed glass with dense stippled backgrounds is early, roughly 1830 to 1850.
- Very regular, sharp-edged patterns with no seams are cut glass, not pressed.
Spotting a reproduction
- Reproductions are often heavier, with softer, less crisp pattern detail.
- Run a finger over the pattern: pressed glass edges are rounded, cut glass edges are sharp enough to feel.
- Colours that did not exist in the period — certain bright purples and teals — indicate later production.
What it is worth
Common patterns in clear glass are worth very little regardless of age. Value concentrates in rare colours, documented patterns and complete sets, and there is a great deal of it about.
Confused with
Cut glass has no mould seams and sharp facet edges you can feel. It rings when tapped; pressed glass usually thuds.
Pressed glass with an iridescent surface sprayed on before firing, mostly 1908 to 1925.
Questions about this
How do you date pressed glass?
Mould seams running up the body — pressed glass has them, cut glass does not. A rough pontil scar on the base indicates hand finishing and an earlier date.
How do you spot a reproduction?
Reproductions are often heavier, with softer, less crisp pattern detail.
Are pressed glass valuable?
Common patterns in clear glass are worth very little regardless of age. Value concentrates in rare colours, documented patterns and complete sets, and there is a great deal of it about.