Most Victorian-style majolica sells for about $20-150 a piece as of October 2026, because the leaf plates, pitchers and small dishes found in most homes are unmarked or modern. Marked American Etruscan majolica brings roughly $40-500, marked Wedgwood and good English makers $100-1,500, and Minton or George Jones pieces $300 to well over $10,000. A modern reproduction is worth $10-50.
The difference between those tiers is almost always on the underside: an impressed maker's mark, a date code, a pattern number and the glaze on the base.
Quick answer
- Unmarked 19th century majolica leaf plates and small dishes: about $20-90. Unmarked pitchers: about $40-150.
- Etruscan majolica by Griffen, Smith & Hill (GSH monogram): about $40-120 for leaf plates, $150-500 for pitchers, teapots and the scarcer forms.
- Marked Wedgwood, Holdcroft, Brownfield and similar English makers: about $100-1,500.
- Minton and George Jones: about $300-2,500 for tableware, with important tureens, cheese domes and centrepieces at $5,000-50,000 and more.
- Modern reproductions, often with a fake registration diamond: about $10-50.
How do you identify and value majolica, step by step?
Start with the base, then check the glaze and condition, then compare against sold prices for the same maker and form.
- Confirm it is majolica. Victorian majolica is earthenware moulded in relief, often as leaves, shells, fish, birds or basketwork, and painted with thick, glossy, translucent coloured glazes: leaf green, cobalt blue, turquoise, pink, ochre and brown. Minton introduced it at the Great Exhibition of 1851, and it peaked from about 1860 to 1900. Italian "maiolica", tin-glazed and painted flat, is a different ware.
- Turn it over and read the impressed mark. Marks on good majolica are pressed into the clay, not printed, so read them in raking light. MINTON or MINTONS, the GJ monogram, WEDGWOOD and the GSH monogram are the ones that matter most; the next section explains each.
- Look for the registration diamond. A diamond-shaped British registry mark, used from 1842 to 1883, records when the design was registered, not when your piece was made. After 1884 a registered number ("Rd No") replaced it. A crisp, oversized or printed diamond on an otherwise crude piece is a warning sign.
- Find the pattern number. George Jones pattern numbers were usually painted by hand in black on a small unglazed patch on the base, often called the thumbprint. Minton shape numbers are impressed. Etruscan pieces carry impressed letters and numbers for the pattern.
- Read the glaze on the underside. Many Victorian pieces have a glazed base in a mottled brown, green, grey or pink, with three small unglazed spots where the piece stood on kiln stilts. Reproductions more often show a plain white or cream base, glaze drips and bubbles, and a bright, harsh palette.
- Check condition closely. Majolica chips easily at rims, leaf tips, handles and finials, and the soft body is often restored. Look for glaze that is a slightly different colour or texture, and use a UV torch on the edges.
- Measure it and compare sold prices for the same maker, form and size, not dealer asking prices.
What is majolica worth by maker?
The maker sets the ceiling. These are typical sold ranges for sound pieces without significant damage, as of October 2026. Sales of common pieces are frequent; the top tier is thin and driven by a small group of specialist bidders.
| Maker and type | Marks to look for | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Modern reproduction, often Asian made | Printed or crude diamond, white base, bright glaze | $10-50 |
| Unmarked English or American leaf plate or small dish, 1870 to 1900 | None, mottled base | $20-90 |
| Unmarked pitcher, figural jug or bowl | None, or a pattern number only | $40-150 |
| Continental figural pitchers and plates (German, Austrian, French) | Impressed numbers, sometimes a maker's name | $40-300 |
| Etruscan begonia, maple or other leaf plate | GSH monogram | $40-120 |
| Etruscan Shell and Seaweed, Cauliflower, Bamboo tea and table pieces | GSH monogram | $75-500 |
| Etruscan swan cheese keeper or sardine box | GSH monogram | $300-1,000+, sales are thin |
| Wedgwood, Holdcroft, Brownfield, Copeland and similar | Impressed name or monogram | $100-1,500 |
| George Jones plates, small dishes, cups | GJ monogram, crescent, painted pattern number | $150-800 |
| George Jones and Minton tureens, cheese domes, game pie dishes, teapots | Full marks, date cypher | $800-5,000 |
| Exhibition pieces: large centrepieces, garden seats, jardinieres, figural animals | Full marks | $5,000-50,000+ |
The top of the market is real. At Strawser Auction Group, the main US specialist majolica auction house, a Minton flat iron teapot realized $43,125 and a George Jones drum cabaret tea set $31,625, according to the auction house's majolica page. The same page lists a Hugo Lonitz monumental hawk at $46,000 and an Avisseau basin at $49,200. Records like these are exceptional pieces, not a guide to ordinary tableware.
Why is most majolica worth $20-150?
Because a great deal of it was made, and much of what survives is unmarked or later. Dozens of English, American and Continental potteries made majolica for the mass market in the 1870s and 1880s, many without marks, so an unmarked leaf plate sells as decoration rather than as a collectable. Steady reproduction since the 1980s keeps that end of the market cheap.
The middle of the market has also softened. PBS Antiques Roadshow updated its retail appraisal of a majolica fish tureen attributed to George Jones from $2,500-3,500 in 2006 to $1,500-2,500 in 2019. The same is true of old china and Blue Willow.
The exception is the surprise attribution. At Brunk Auctions in July 2025, a pair of crane vases with a bowl, catalogued as attributed to George Jones and estimated at $700-900, drew 50 bids and sold for $16,000. Rare, but it is why a well-modelled piece deserves a second look.
How do you read Minton, George Jones and Wedgwood marks?
Each maker used a different system.
Minton. An impressed MINTON, changed to MINTONS around 1873, plus an impressed shape number that matches the factory's shape books, plus a small symbol called a date cypher, one for each year from 1842. The cypher charts are printed in most British pottery mark references.
George Jones. According to The Potteries' history of the firm, the impressed GJ monogram in a circle was used on early majolica from about 1861 to 1873. In 1873 the sons became partners, the firm became George Jones & Sons, and a crescent with "& SONS" was added beneath the monogram. The word ENGLAND generally means after 1891. The painted pattern number on a small unglazed patch is one of the best signs of a genuine George Jones piece.
Wedgwood. The impressed WEDGWOOD is joined from 1860 by a three-letter date code: month, potter, then year letter. The year letters repeat in cycles, so one code can point to two dates, and the month letter settles it. Our Wedgwood guide covers the jasperware and other bodies.
Etruscan. The Majolica International Society describes Griffen, Smith & Hill of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania as the largest and best-known American majolica maker. Majolica production began by 1879 and a fire in 1890 almost destroyed the works. Leaf plates are the most common Etruscan forms; the swan cheese keeper and sardine box are among the most sought after.
For other potteries and general rules on reading bases, see our guide on how to read pottery marks.
How do you spot reproduction majolica?
Look at size, colour, base and price together. A PBS Antiques Roadshow appraiser valued a reproduction cheese stand at about $40, against $1,000-1,500 for a genuine Victorian example, and listed these tells:
- Too small. Victorian cheese stands, tureens and jardinieres were made for real use and are larger than most copies.
- Glaze too bright. Harsh yellow, flat green and a glassy, even finish. Victorian glazes pool and vary in depth over the relief.
- Drips and bubbles. Heavy runs and pinholes from careless modern glazing.
- Whiter body. Chips on a copy show a bright white clay; Victorian earthenware is usually creamy or buff.
- A fake registration diamond. Many copies carry a printed or moulded diamond. A diamond is not proof of age.
A missing mark is not proof of a fake, and a mark is not proof of age: fake Minton and George Jones marks exist.
What changes the price: condition and other factors
| Factor | Effect on value |
|---|---|
| Clean, original glaze, no chips or repairs | Full value for the maker and form |
| Small rim flake or glaze nick | Deduct about 15-30 percent |
| Chip to a leaf tip, beak, handle or finial | Deduct about 25-50 percent |
| Hairline crack | Deduct about 30-50 percent |
| Professional restoration, invisible in normal light | Deduct about 30-60 percent; must be disclosed |
| Missing lid on a tureen, cheese dome or teapot | Base alone is often 10-25 percent of the full piece |
| Crazing in the glaze, stable | Small deduction; common on old majolica |
| Clear maker's mark and pattern number | Can double or triple an otherwise similar unmarked piece |
| Cobalt or turquoise ground, unusual colours | Premium over the common green leaf colourings |
| Large size and complex modelling | The biggest single premium among marked pieces |
A worked example
Say you find a yellow and green leaf-shaped dish about 9 inches long in a box of kitchen things. The underside is glazed in a mottled grey-green, and in raking light you can see an impressed monogram of interlocking letters, with a G around an S and an H, inside a circle reading ETRUSCAN MAJOLICA.
That is a Griffen, Smith & Hill begonia leaf dish, made in Phoenixville in the 1880s. It is the most common Etruscan form. Check the rim and leaf tips: if it is clean, it sells for roughly $40-120; a chip brings it nearer $20-40. If instead you had a Shell and Seaweed teapot with its lid, the same mark would put it at a few hundred dollars. And if the same leaf dish had no mark, a white underside and a bright, even glaze, it would be a modern copy worth $10-20.
Common mistakes
- Pricing from dealer asking prices, which run well above sold prices.
- Trusting a registration diamond as proof of age. It is the most copied mark.
- Confusing Italian maiolica or modern Italian painted pottery with Victorian majolica. They are different wares with different markets.
- Soaking or using a dishwasher. The porous body takes in water through chips and crazing.
- Separating tureen bases, lids and stands, which sell for far more together.
How WorthPic reads majolica photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From a clear photo of the base it reads impressed marks such as MINTON, MINTONS, the GJ monogram and crescent, WEDGWOOD with its date code and the GSH monogram, along with shape and painted pattern numbers and any registration diamond. From the top and side it reads the form, modelling and glaze palette, which help separate Victorian work from copies. It then places the piece against current sold results for that maker, form and size and gives an honest value range with a most likely figure. What it cannot know from a photo is hidden restoration, a hairline under the glaze or whether a crisp mark was added later, and it will say so. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise. A piece that looks like Minton or George Jones, or anything that may be worth more than a few hundred dollars, belongs in front of a majolica specialist before it is sold.
What to photograph
- The underside in raking light, so impressed marks and numbers cast a shadow.
- A close-up of any mark, registration diamond and painted pattern number.
- The whole piece from the front and side, showing the modelling and colours.
- Rims, leaf tips, handles, spouts and finials close up, where chips and repairs hide.
- A ruler or tape beside the piece for size.
When to get it looked at in person
Unmarked leaf plates and pitchers do not need an expert; a sold-listing search is enough. Get a specialist opinion for anything marked Minton, George Jones or Wedgwood, any tureen, cheese dome, game pie dish, jardiniere or figural animal, any Etruscan swan piece, and anything unusually large or finely modelled even without a mark. Strawser Auction Group holds dedicated majolica sales, and the Majolica International Society is the collector club for attribution questions. Our guide to where to sell antiques compares the options. The standard reference is Majolica: A Complete History and Illustrated Survey by Marilyn G. Karmason with Joan B. Stacke (Abrams).
Sources
- Majolica International Society: Griffen, Smith & Hill: Etruscan majolica history, GSH marks, dates and the most common and sought-after forms.
- The Potteries: George Jones: George Jones firm dates and the monogram, crescent and ENGLAND marks.
- PBS Antiques Roadshow: Real or repro, majolica: reproduction tells and the $40 versus $1,000-1,500 comparison.
- PBS Antiques Roadshow: Majolica fish tureen, ca. 1870: the 2006 and 2019 appraisals of a tureen attributed to George Jones.
- Strawser Auction Group: Majolica: realized prices for the Minton flat iron teapot, George Jones drum cabaret set, Lonitz hawk and Avisseau basin.
- Brunk Auctions, July 16, 2025 catalog: the attributed George Jones crane vases sold for $16,000.