The Maritime Commissary
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United States Navy / USN supplementary information page. Please feel free to send questions or comments to: rrcomm@sonic.net Relevant information, and credits, will be posted.
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Department of Navy – Early Pattern
Some might be surprised that the US – Dept of Navy would have ordered dining room china made in France, but if one looks at the evolution of the art of china manufacturing, one sees that gold decorations were beyond the capabilities of American china manufactures before about the 1920's. If the Department of Navy wanted to project the proper image of prestige, French made china was the "only game in town". Do recall though, that Haviland was an American (just his factories were in France). By the 1920's, when American manufacturers developed the capacity to manufacture gilt china, the Navy ordered exclusively domestically produced china.
This is one of those patterns in which gold wear quickly reduces value. Pieces of china in this pattern with moderate gold wear are worth about 1/4 the price compared to mint pieces (which are somewhat scarce).
