American Texaco ‘Gasoline Motor Oil’ Porcelain Enamel Advertising Sign
LANGUAGE UNLOCK
Glossary Roundup
Original Presentation Script
No narration for this appraisal report
Used for this report's TTS and avatar presentation.
Item Report
American Texaco ‘Gasoline Motor Oil’ Porcelain Enamel Advertising Sign
By:The Texas Company (Texaco); specific sign maker unspecified (commonly A-M Sign Co., Veribrite, etc. on originals)
Style:American petroliana; early to mid-20th century service-station advertising
Origin:United States
Materials:Porcelain enamel on steel (originals); possible tin or printed metal for later reproductions
Age:Design introduced circa 1915–1930s; this example’s exact date undetermined from the photo
Condition:Condition undetermined (insufficient detail images to assess porcelain, edges, or reverse; not officially graded)
Value:If authentic early porcelain (24–42 in): $1,000–$3,000 at auction (condition-dependent). If modern reproduction: $50–$150.
Maker's Marks / Writing:Text visible: ‘GASOLINE’ at top; ‘MOTOR OIL’ at bottom; ‘TEXACO’ across star; green letter ‘T’; ‘REG. T.M.’ under the T; small legend ‘MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY’ along the lower center ring.
Date:2025-09-15 14:47:07.492445
Description:
Round petroliana advertising sign featuring the Texaco red star with green ‘T’ and the wording ‘GASOLINE’ (top) and ‘MOTOR OIL’ (bottom) in a red outer ring. Center field shows ‘TEXACO’ across the star and ‘REG. T.M.’ with the small legend ‘MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY’. Originally produced as heavy porcelain enamel on steel for service stations; later tin/painted and printed reproductions exist.
Curator Questions
Curated by Jade
Assessment:
Classic Texaco round ‘Gasoline Motor Oil’ sign, one of the most collected petroliana designs. Originals are heavy, double-sided porcelain with grommeted mounting holes and manufacturer/date stencils; they exhibit porcelain gloss, layered color with shelving, and honest edge chipping. Many high-quality reproductions exist with lighter gauge metal, screen-printed surfaces, and no true porcelain shelving. A word about fakes.. Petroliana signs—especially Texaco—are among the most heavily reproduced categories; caution is essential and verification of weight, mounting holes, porcelain gloss/shelving, and reverse side is necessary before assigning strong value.
Individual Images:
whole item
Provenance:
No provenance provided.
Condition:
Condition undetermined (insufficient detail images to assess porcelain, edges, or reverse; not officially graded)
Identification Score: 95%
The iconography (red star, green T, ‘Made by The Texas Company’, outer red band text) unmistakably identifies this as a Texaco ‘Gasoline Motor Oil’ round advertising sign; only the material/originality is uncertain.
Authenticity Score: 15%
Only a single web-quality image is provided with no views of mounting holes, edge chipping, reverse side, thickness, or porcelain ‘shelving’; these signs are widely reproduced. Pending inspection for porcelain layers, grommeted holes, weight, and period maker/date marks, I must assume reproduction by default.
Image Memory Note
The image shows a single, circular Texaco sign graphic against a white background. Layout: outermost thin black rim; wide red ring with white sans-serif letters ‘GASOLINE’ curving across the top and ‘MOTOR OIL’ curving along the bottom. Inside is a white field with a five-point red star outlined in black. Across the top arms of the star in black capitals is the word ‘TEXACO’. Centered on the star is a green, blocky capital ‘T’ outlined in black. Beneath the green ‘T’ appears the small wording ‘REG. T.M.’ in black. Along the very bottom of the inner white ring (just above the red band) is small curved text reading ‘MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY’. No mounting holes, edge chips, grommets, reverse side, or size indicators are visible. Colors are bright (red, green, black, white) with no visible wear or porcelain gloss indicator; the image could be a flat graphic reference rather than a photograph of a physical sign. No additional inscriptions, date codes, or maker’s stamps are visible. No damage is observable due to the graphic nature of the image.
Keywords
Texaco, Gasoline Motor Oil, petroliana, porcelain sign, advertising sign, The Texas Company, American, service station, red star green T
The report was edited after initial Artmink draft. Original AI draft preserved in Artmink audit history.
Share: