Favorite Piqua Ware No. 3 Skillet — Unmarked, Two-Dot Attribution
Most cast iron announces itself. This No. 3 doesn't. The base is completely unmarked — no Smiley cartouche, no size numeral, no trade name. What it carries instead is two small dots near the handle junction and a set of physical characteristics that, taken together, build a credible case for Favorite Piqua Ware attribution: the right heat ring profile, the right handle geometry, the right casting character for the Piqua foundry floor of 1916–1935. The dots are documented. The attribution is stated as inferential, not confirmed. That's how honest collection documentation works.
Favorite Piqua Ware No. 8A Skillet — Smiley / Miami Dual Logo
The No. 8 is where every Favorite Piqua Ware collection begins — the workhorse size, the most produced, the most familiar. This one carries something the standard No. 8A doesn't: the dual-logo configuration, with the Smiley cartouche above and the Miami diamond below, both cast on the same base. Acquired as a provenance-linked pair with the companion No. 7, it confirms that the dual marking crossed at least two sizes from the same foundry period. It also surfaces a detail the No. 7 alone couldn't reveal: the Miami diamond frame on this No. 8A is single-outline, while the No. 7's is double — a variation that raises questions the iron documents but doesn't yet answer.
Favorite Piqua Ware No. 8A Skillet
A museum-quality look at the most popular size in Favorite Piqua Ware's lineup — the No. 8A Smiley Logo skillet, cast from the first working pattern in Piqua, Ohio between 1916 and 1935. Includes original research on the pattern letter system, quality control in American foundries, and why the No. 8 was the skillet that defined the brand.
Favorite Piqua Ware No. 7 Skillet
A museum-quality study of a Favorite Piqua Ware No. 7 Smiley Logo skillet featuring a rare double dot molder's mark — a foundry worker's personal signature pressed into the sand mold before the iron was poured. Includes original research on molder's marks, piecework payment systems, and the human labor behind American cast iron manufacturing.
Favorite Piqua Ware No. 6 Skillet
A museum-quality look at one of Favorite Piqua Ware's scarcer sizes — the No. 6 Smiley Logo skillet, cast in Piqua, Ohio between 1916 and 1935. Includes the full history of the Favorite Stove & Range Company, collector pricing context, and why this less common size commands a premium among serious collectors.
Favorite Piqua Ware No. 5B Skillet
A museum-quality look at a Favorite Piqua Ware No. 5B Smiley Logo skillet with heat ring, cast in Piqua, Ohio between 1916 and 1935. Includes the full history of the Favorite Stove & Range Company, logo identification, mold variant analysis, and detailed provenance from acquisition to catalog.
Favorite Piqua Ware No. 3 Skillet
A museum-quality look at one of Favorite Stove & Range Company's most collectible pieces — the No. 3 Smiley Logo skillet, cast in Piqua, Ohio between 1916 and 1935. Includes the full history of the company from its 1848 Cincinnati origins through its move to "The Favorite City," logo identification, and detailed markings analysis.