J.W. McCoy and his son, Nelson, are the masterminds behind The Nelson McCoy Sanitary Stoneware Company they founded in April 1910. Roseville, Ohio had an abundance of clay as a natural resource and also an abundance of laborers knowledgeable about working with clay. The father and son decided to build a manufacturing complex in Roseville and purchased the equipment needed to displace large amounts of clay. Besides mining and selling clay to other area pottery manufacturers, they began to create their own unique stoneware.

In 1925, the McCoys decided to expand their operation and purchased the largest kiln available in the area at that time. It was a tunnel kiln used to bake the clay and was over 300 feet long. As you can imagine, it could hold quite a capacity of items. The pottery products of the 1920s and 1930s utilized a mix of blended earth tone glazes. Many of the first pieces utilized leaf and berry designs in their creation. McCoy pottery was sturdy and quality made. They were often simple, functional, and inexpensive pieces; they were created for everyday use.

McCoy Cookie Jars
The ever-famous McCoy cookie jars were introduced in the mid-1940s and continued through the 1960s. A beautiful cookie jar in the shape of a milk can was produced between 1939 and 1944 in the wonderful colors of blue, green, yellow, ivory, and black. Gorgeous flowers graced the front of the jar. It was flowers, leaves, and berries entwined through many of their designs. There was no mark on this particular exquisite cookie jar. Many cookie jars did have McCoy marks on them of one sort or another, but not all.

Many of the shapes and styles were round like balls, pots, and pitchers. They had to be a good full size to hold cookies! An extremely rare find, Mammy with Cauliflowers was manufactured in 1939 and only a limited amount was produced. The mark on this treasure is “McCoy USA.” This cherished prize is valued at between $1,000 and $1,200. Another exceptional find would be the Hillbilly Bear cookie jar, created in the early 1940s in a limited edition.


How to tell if you have the “real” McCoy
One of the best ways to identify a fake McCoy cookie jar is by height. Reproductions are often made from a cast or mold of the original. This method of copying an original ensures the reproduction is 6 to 8 percent shorter than the original. For instance, an authentic McCoy Davy Crockett cookie jar, which was manufactured in 1957, has a reproduction that was copied around 1994. They both are marked with USA on the bottom of the jar, but the original is 10 ¼ inches tall and the reproduction barely reaches 9 ½ inches tall.

Don’t be fooled by the markings; height is the best way to tell if you have the original article. For example, there is a Little Red Riding Hood Cookie Jar that is marked “McCoy.” It is NOT the original article, as the original is marked, “Little Red Riding Hood Pat Design No. 135889 USA.” Research your collectible using the internet or purchase an antique book specifically on McCoy cookie jars to help you identify the “real” McCoy.

The McCoy Pottery Company, as it came to be known, was kept in the McCoy family for almost all the years of its existence and the president of the company was a McCoy for four generations. The company ceased operations in 1990. You will surely delight in any true McCoy cookie jar you happen to find. They are solid, well-made, and make a powerful presentation. McCoy cookie jars are a joy to behold and they will usher in another era and art form to your collections.

Alana Morgaine
Our Vintage Pottery

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