Vintage Chartreuse Fiesta Production: 1951 – 1959
It’s Not Lime, It’s Chartreuse
For the fabulous fifties, Homer Laughlin took the boss step to add one of its most distinctive colors to its line of Fiesta china, chartreuse. Can you dig it, Daddy-O?
Produced for only ten years, and in lower quantity than the original Fiesta colors, collecting vintage chartreuse can be a challenge. Chartreuse was introduced along with forest green, grayand rose ushering in a more delicate, softer look to the china.
The color was popular enough that the company produced a special two-year run of Post86 Chartreuse Fiesta. Unfortunately, HLC has announced that it was only going to be for two years, so in order to meet the needs of a lime green shade of dishes the company in 2009 continued the tradition by producing lemongrass, a slightly lighter shade of chartreuse.
Identifying Vintage Chartreuse vs.. Post86 Chartreuse
HLC did an amazing job replicating the chartreuse color for it’s two-year return in the Post86 line of Fiesta. As a result, contrasting the 1950’s vintage chartreuse with the newer color is impossible, that is as far as just looking at the color. To identify vintage from Post86 chartreuse, collectors will have to use all the standard production differences with the lines of china. For plates, the Post86 dinner, dessert and chop plates will have the three letter abbreviation code. Many vintage pieces will have saggar pin marks and a wet foot.
Check here to see what other collectors and sellers are currently selling from the Vintage Chartreuse Fiesta line here.
Texas Cooking is a proud member of the Homer Laughlin China Collectors Association If you are interested in collecting this great dinnerware, look into this great organization.