- Posts about Horseshoe depression glass
- Basic information about Horseshoe
- Horseshoe pieces made
- Availability and price
- Reproduction and damage concerns
Posts about Horseshoe Depression Glass
Indiana Horseshoe Depression Glass – No Horses Here!
What to Watch for When Buying Pretzel Glass from Indiana Glassware of the 1940s, 50s and 60s
Peacock and Wild Rose Bowl – Beautiful Pieces from Depression Glass Show
Beautiful Glass from the Depression Era – Glass Show Memories
Please Don’t Drool on Your Keyboard – Depression Glass Colored and Clear
Antiquing Fun – Take Time to Ooh and Aah!
Beautiful Depression Glass – Antiquing Together in Downtown Kalamazoo
Tip of the Week! Display Your Glass
Basic Information about Horseshoe Depression Glass
Horseshoe depression glass, properly Number 612, comes from Indiana Glass, made 1930 to 1933. The nickname “Horseshoe” comes from the open curved motif surrounded by flowers and swags. This pretty mold-etched pattern is charming and the name Horseshoe fits it much better than staid old Number 612.
Indiana made Horseshoe in green and yellow with a few pieces in crystal and a pink candy dish. Oddly there is no other piece in pink and apparently no candy in either green or yellow.
The sherbet, creamer, sugar and some tumblers have square feet while the feet on the pitcher and cup are round, similar to Lorain also by Indiana. Plates except the grill plate have a sloped rim.
The bowls have patterns on the sides, not the bottom. Plates except for the sherbet liner shown have an intricate medallion with swags and scrolls in the center that dangle from the horseshoe arms and the floral bunches between each horseshoe.
Horseshoe Pieces
Horseshoe is a dinnerware pattern with a beverage set. Indiana produced 3 plates, sherbet liner, salad and 9 1/8 inch luncheon, and a grill plate. Although the company did not designate the 9 inch plate as a dinner, it is the same size as the dinner in many depression patterns so you could certainly use it as such. The grill plate is 10 3/8 inches across with 3 divided sections and a wide flat rim. Unlike the other plates it is rather hard to find.
Indiana made a small 4 1/2 inch berry and larger 6 1/2 inch cereal bowl for place setting use plus 3 serving bowls, two round and one oval. Horseshoe has both a round 11 1/2 inch sandwich plate and and an oval platter. These pieces, plus the round covered butter dish, creamer and sugar and relish plate make a rather complete set of serving pieces.
Look for the usual cup, saucer, and sherbet too.
The beverage set includes a half-gallon footed pitcher, and in green, two footed and two flat tumblers, 9 and 12 ounce sizes in both styles. Yellow Horseshoe has only the footed tumblers. The footed tumblers look much like Lorain tumblers.
Availability and Price
We saw very little Horseshoe in 20 years buying glass. We got a couple pieces from an older gentleman who sold me his Mom’s Cameo which had other patterns mixed in and saw several pieces at different antique malls and lovely selections at glass shows. It is not easy to find in quantity in either color – which means you can have fun looking!
Seriously, if you want to get pieces of this delightful pattern you are best likely to find what you want at a glass show or possibly online. I saw several pieces in both yellow and green on eBay just now (June 2024) with a larger selection in green.
As you would expect when the pattern is somewhat uncommon yet beautiful and desirable, Horseshoe is pricey, especially for the harder to find pieces. For example, you want a flat tumbler be prepared to spend far more than for the more common 9 ounce footed water tumbler. The footed water price compares to other depression glass tumblers, high but not stratospheric.
Of course the truly rare pieces, such as the butter dish with lid, are very costly. If you want a couple cup and saucer sets, creamer and sugar and maybe salad plates to serve dessert, that set would be more reasonable.
Reproduction and Damage Concerns
Thankfully there are no known Horseshoe reproductions. This removes one worry you might have about seeking this pattern.
Like all Indiana depression glass, Horseshoe tends to have rough seams. I noticed the plates I got had tiny raised ridges of glass around the rims and these were irregular enough that you could feel them. This isn’t damage but a manufacturing flaw.
Any time a seam has raised bits of glass it is prone to tiny nicks. Be careful on the angular edges of handles and the square feet besides the usual rim and inside rim edges.
Overall
Horseshoe, Number 612, from Indiana Glass is a particularly lovely and appealing pattern. Look for green or yellow – consider combining both colors for a springtime look – and as always, enjoy your glass!