My glass sales go in streaks and right now the winning pattern is Patrician. I’ve soft spot for this design – I like the mold etched patterns more than the geometric ones – and enjoy the curvy shapes and simple design. It’s a perfect pattern to collect since it’s never been reproduced and you can choose from a wide variety of pieces.
Patrician Spoke Amber Depression Glass Butter Lid
In fact, I recommend Patrician as the pattern to collect if you like amber depression glass. It’s fairly easy to find pieces, although you do need to be careful of condition, and it’s not very costly. Patrician is a great choice instead of Madrid, also made by Federal Glass. Patrician is prettier and the fact it’s not been reproduced means you don’t have to worry about it.
Let’s talk about condition points. Patrician plates and bowls can get nicked on the inner edge of the rim from stacking. That might not bother you – many people don’t even notice it – but if you want only perfect glass then be careful. Always run your finger along the outer edge of the rim and along the top and bottom of the outer edge. Then run your finger along the inner edge of the rim. If you feel any discontinuities check them out. They could be tiny nicks or blobs of glass.
You can get a complete dinner set in amber, including several plates, tumblers serving pieces and accessories like the cookie jar. About the only accessory that you won’t find is a candle holder. For some reason Federal didn’t have a candle holder with Patrician although they made one in Madrid. The piece pictured is the butter lid. The base looks like the jam dish, a shallow bowl.
Patrician comes in amber, green and pink. The amber and pink are supposed to be the most common although I’ve never personally seen the pink. We bought an enormous set of amber a while back and it’s slowly been sailing out to new owners. The pieces we have left are all in great condition and all have free shipping.