Artmink

American Gas Station Advertising Style Texaco Gasoline Motor Oil Porcelain Sign

By: The Texas Company (Texaco); specific manufacturer unknown (contract jobber)

Style: American petroliana / roadside advertising

Origin: United States

Materials: Porcelain enamel on steel

Age: circa 1930s–1940s

Condition: Fair (heavy porcelain chipping, rust, extra field holes, edge losses; unrestored)

Value: $400–$900 at auction (condition-dependent; significantly higher if verified authentic and better condition)

Maker's Marks / Writing: Front reads: 'TEXACO', 'REG. T.M.', and 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY'. No visible maker’s stencil or date code shown.

Date: 2025-10-31 16:04:42.004968

Description:

Round, large-format double-sided service-station advertising sign for Texaco, with red outer band reading GASOLINE • MOTOR OIL, central red star with green 'T', and legend 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY' over 'REG. T.M.' Porcelain enamel over steel with multiple chips, rust blooms, and several non-factory holes through the field and along the rim.

Curator Questions

Curated by Jade

Assessment:

Classic Texaco round porcelain sign in hard-used condition. Typography, green 'T' over red star, and the 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY' legend are correct for pre-1959 branding. However, the piece shows extensive field perforations and heavy edge loss; lack of back-side images and grommet details prevents firm authentication. If period-original, this is a desirable 42-inch class display with strong collector demand even in rough shape; if a later reproduction with induced wear, value is far lower. A word about fakes.. Petroliana—especially Texaco round porcelains—is heavily reproduced; beware artificially rusted examples with incorrect fonts, wrong hole placement, and overly uniform aging. Recommend in-person inspection: check porcelain layering at chips, magnetism and steel gauge, edge curvature, and any backside stenciling or maker’s marks.

Individual Images:

• none

Provenance:

Not provided.

Condition:

Fair (heavy porcelain chipping, rust, extra field holes, edge losses; unrestored)

Identification Score: 90%

Form, graphics, and wording clearly identify a Texaco 'Gasoline • Motor Oil' round porcelain advertising sign; uncertainty lies in originality, not in the type of object.

Authenticity Score: 40%

Surface wear and porcelain loss look plausible, and wording/logo align with 1930s–40s production, but absence of reverse-side view, grommet evidence, and the presence of multiple non-standard holes make it risky to call period-original from photos alone. Assume reproduction until proven; further inspection required.

Image Memory Note

None     None

Keywords

Texaco, Gasoline Motor Oil, porcelain enamel sign, petroliana, American advertising, service station, United States, 1930s, round sign

Report ID:  : 2kef32

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