Artmink

American Petroliana Texaco 'Gasoline Motor Oil' Porcelain Enamel Service Station Sign

By: The Texas Company (Texaco); specific sign manufacturer not indicated

Style: American gas & oil advertising (petroliana); service-station porcelain sign

Origin: United States

Materials: Porcelain enamel on steel (likely double-sided, unconfirmed from photo)

Age: circa 1930–1945

Condition: Fair (extensive rusting, porcelain loss, edge chips and multiple punctures; not officially graded)

Value: $800–$2,000 at auction (condition-dependent; if definitively period and larger 42 in. example)

Maker's Marks / Writing: Outer ring: 'GASOLINE • MOTOR OIL'; center: 'TEXACO' (partially obscured by punctures); below star: 'REG. T.M.'; lower inner rim: 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY'.

Date: 2025-09-22 19:51:08.599502

Description:

Round porcelain enamel on steel advertising sign for Texaco (The Texas Company), featuring the red five-point star with green block 'T' at center, the word 'TEXACO' across the star, and an outer red ring with white block lettering reading 'GASOLINE • MOTOR OIL'. Text along the lower inner rim reads 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY' with 'REG. T.M.' beneath the star. Typical of service-station signage used on pole or wall mounts; size not provided (commonly 42 in. dia.). Surfaces show oxidation, chipping, and multiple punctures consistent with long outdoor use.

Curator Questions

Curated by Jade

Assessment:

This appears to be a period Texaco porcelain advertising sign with the classic red star/green T motif and 'Made by The Texas Company' legend used before the corporate name change in 1959. Letter forms, layout, and color blocking align with 1930s–40s production. Condition is rough with extensive porcelain loss, rust blooms, and multiple through-holes (likely bullet or impact). These signs are heavily reproduced, so confirmation of diameter, thickness, grommet style/number, and whether it is double-sided would help. A word about fakes.. Petroliana porcelain signs are widely reproduced; look for correct heavy-gauge steel, glassy fired enamel with layered colors, aged rust concentrated at chips and mounting points, and period-appropriate fonts. Pending inspection of the reverse and edge/mount holes, I treat this as plausibly original but with caution.

Individual Images:

whole item

Provenance:

None provided.

Condition:

Fair (extensive rusting, porcelain loss, edge chips and multiple punctures; not officially graded)

Identification Score: 95%

The graphics and wording clearly identify it as a Texaco 'Gasoline Motor Oil' porcelain advertising sign; the layout, fonts, and star/green T device are unmistakable.

Authenticity Score: 55%

Surface wear and porcelain chipping look credible, and the 'Made by The Texas Company' + 'REG. T.M.' details fit 1930s–40s production. However, reproductions exist in quantity, and I cannot see the reverse, edge grommets, or confirm standard diameter and thickness. Hence a cautious mid-range score. A word about fakes.. This category is rife with modern repros and artificially aged pieces; avoid assuming authenticity without verifying construction and dimensions.

Image Memory Note

Primary image shows a large round porcelain-on-steel sign leaning outdoors against a yellow corrugated roll-up door and a stuccoed pillar. Design: outer red ring with white block letters 'GASOLINE • MOTOR OIL'; inner white field; large red five-point star; green block 'T' overlay at star center; 'TEXACO' in black caps across upper star; small black text 'REG. T.M.' below the star point; curved black text along lower inner rim 'MADE BY THE TEXAS COMPANY'. Condition details: numerous rust blooms scattered across the white field and red ring, especially near the center; multiple through-holes in the central area (one through the 'A' of TEXACO and others nearby), suggestive of bullet/impact holes rather than factory mount holes; chipped porcelain and exposed steel along much of the rim; larger edge losses at approximately 10–11 o'clock, 1–2 o'clock, and 6–7 o'clock; additional dark rust clusters near the letters in GASOLINE at the top. No size, thickness, or reverse side shown; no separate maker's plaque or enamel foundry stamp visible; no grommets evident at the very edge due to cropping and damage.

Keywords

Texaco, The Texas Company, Gasoline Motor Oil, porcelain sign, petroliana, service station advertising, American, red star green T, vintage, 1930s 1940s

Report ID:  : v46bmt

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