Fenton glass marks: the oval logo, decade numbers and labels

Fenton put its molded logo, the word Fenton in script inside an oval, on carnival glass from 1970 and on almost all its glass by 1975; a small digit beside it gives the decade (8 for the 1980s, 9 for the 1990s, 0 for 2000-2009, 1 from 2010). Fenton made before 1970 is normally unmarked and is identified by surviving paper labels, color and pattern.

By the Antique ID team · Updated 2026-10-13

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A short history

Fenton's own timeline says brothers Frank L. and John W. Fenton started the company in rented space in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in 1905, built their factory in Williamstown, West Virginia, in 1906-07, and made the first piece there on January 2, 1907. Iridescent Ware, the glass later called carnival glass, followed in 1907-08. Hobnail, cranberry glass and crested ware debuted in the late 1930s; Milk Glass Hobnail became the flagship line in 1952; and in 1970 Fenton reintroduced carnival glass. The timeline records that traditional glassmaking at Williamstown ended in 2011. The West Virginia Encyclopedia notes that the factory site became a school in 2017 and that glass is still made from Fenton's original molds in Ohio.

The molded logo and decade digits

Fenton's logo history gives the sequence:

Fenton also sometimes inscribed the script F on blown ware or used it as a decal when a mold logo was unreadable. Anniversary logos were added to special collections, such as the 1995 Historic Collection.

Seconds marks

Fenton sold "preferred seconds", mainly through its gift shop, and marked them. According to the logo history, early in the 1990s seconds bore a flame-like mark resembling a calligraphic S; from June 1996 to July 1998 a solid or open star was sandblasted on the bottom or side; and from August 1998 an F replaced the star. A double star was used on ware donated to Williamstown organizations for fundraising. These marks do not mean a piece is fake, only that it was sold as a second.

Paper labels: dating older Fenton

Before the molded logo, Fenton relied on paper labels, which often washed off. Its label history illustrates labels from about 1921 onward, including:

• About 1939 to 1947-48: silver label reading "Handmade in America by Fenton" or "Handmade by Fenton".
• About 1949-50 to 1957: red and silver labels used on milk glass.
• About 1957 to 1971: magenta and blue "worker" label, with a milk glass version.
• About 1970 to 1985: black and gold "glassworker" label with rounded edges.
• About 1985 to 1996, and 1997 onward: silver and black labels; special 95th and 100th anniversary labels in 2000 and 2005.

If there is no label, date unmarked Fenton by color, pattern and shape against Fenton catalogs and collector references.

Lines and glass made for others

Fenton's timeline shows how much of its output was made to order: bowls for electric mixer companies and bottles for cologne and perfume firms in 1936-37, glassware for American importers who could not buy from overseas in 1940-45, a business relationship with Cracker Barrel from 1969, and items for the QVC shopping channel from 1988, which used a special label. Pieces made in molds bought from other firms carry Fenton marks, not the original maker's. Carnival glass researchers G. and S. Thistlewood also report that from 2007 Fenton used a "Fenton International" brand, mostly for glass made in China.

Reproductions and confusions

• Classic versus revival carnival. Classic Fenton carnival from 1907 onward is unmarked; revival carnival from 1970 carries the oval logo.
• Hobnail by other makers. Hobnail was not unique to Fenton; Westmoreland's English Hobnail is a well-known example from the Depression era. No logo plus a Fenton-like shape is not enough to attribute a piece.
• After 2011. Glass continues to be made from Fenton's molds by others, so compare marks and labels with the dated sequence above.

What drives value

Era (early art glass and classic carnival versus later production), color and treatment (opalescent, cranberry, carnival, hand painting signed by a decorator), limited editions such as the Connoisseur Collection (from 1983) and Family Signature pieces (from 1993), and condition. Original labels and boxes help confirm what a piece is.

Next steps

Turn the piece over and note the mark and any digit, then scan it with Antique ID for a likely line, date range and estimated value. An estimate is not an appraisal; for early art glass or rare colors, ask a Fenton specialist.

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