Artmink

Early 20th-Century Petroliana Style Porcelain 'Texaco Gasoline Motor Oil' Service Station Sign (Round)

By: The Texas Company (Texaco); specific sign fabricator not visible

Style: American petroliana / service station porcelain advertising

Origin: United States

Materials: Porcelain enamel on heavy-gauge steel (likely double-sided on originals)

Age: circa 1928–1936

Condition: Fair (heavy porcelain loss, rusting, edge chipping, and several non-factory holes; reverse side not shown)

Value: If period original (as found, poor–fair): $500–$1,200 at auction. If later reproduction: $100–$200.

Maker's Marks / Writing: Text includes 'TEXACO', 'REG. T.M.', and 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY'; no fabricator’s stamp visible in the photo.

Date: 2025-10-31 16:16:22.841924

Description:

Large round porcelain enamel advertising sign for Texaco, reading 'GASOLINE • MOTOR OIL' with the red star and green 'T' logo and 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY' at bottom. Visible heavy porcelain loss, surface rust, and several extra holes beyond the normal mounting holes. Likely the classic large-format (commonly 42 in.) station sign used at dealers.

Curator Questions

Curated by Jade

Assessment:

Classic Texaco round dealership sign. The graphics and legend 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY' fit late 1920s–1930s production when the red star/green T brandmark was standard. Condition is rough with edge chipping, significant rust blooms, and what appear to be multiple non-factory holes—strongly affecting value. Authenticity cannot be confirmed from a single face-only photo; key checks include whether it is double-sided porcelain with visible color separation shelving, correct diameter (~42 in.), proper hole pattern, heavy weight, and a maker’s stamp (e.g., Veribrite, Tennant & Rait) at the rim. A word about fakes.. this category is widely reproduced; modern copies often are single-sided, lighter-gauge steel, have flat color with minimal enamel shelving, and sometimes show artificial 'bullet hole' aging. Examine the reverse for gloss and aging consistent with the front, and look for layered enamel at color transitions. If period original, even in this condition it remains a desirable piece of petroliana; if not, it is a decorative sign with modest value.

Individual Images:

• none

Provenance:

None provided.

Condition:

Fair (heavy porcelain loss, rusting, edge chipping, and several non-factory holes; reverse side not shown)

Identification Score: 95%

Graphics, wording, and layout clearly match the Texaco round 'Gasoline Motor Oil' porcelain sign format; only size and whether double-sided are unverified.

Authenticity Score: 55%

Surface wear looks plausible for age, but absence of reverse-side photos, lack of visible maker’s mark, and prevalence of convincing reproductions warrant caution. Verify double-sided porcelain, enamel shelving, correct hole pattern, and period maker’s stamp.

Image Memory Note

None     None

Keywords

Texaco, Gasoline Motor Oil, porcelain sign, petroliana, service station, The Texas Company, American advertising, round sign, 1920s, 1930s, USA

Report ID:  : 766fdt

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