How To Identify Favorite Piqua Ware
Complete Collector's Guide
Steve's Seasoned Classics | Library → Identification Guides | June 2026
Favorite Piqua Ware is among the most beloved and visually distinctive cast iron in the American collector record. Produced by Favorite Stove & Range Company in Piqua, Ohio, the Favorite line is instantly recognizable by its iconic Smiley face logo — a smiling sun face cast into the bottom of every skillet. Yet identifying and dating Favorite Piqua Ware requires reading more than just the logo.
This guide presents the SSC methodology for identifying and dating Favorite Piqua Ware cast iron, developed through primary source research and hands-on documentation of the SSC Museum Collection. Favorite Stove & Range Company operated in Piqua, Ohio — in the heart of Ohio's Miami Valley industrial corridor — from the 1880s through the mid-20th century.
SSC Note: Favorite Piqua Ware is an Ohio foundry product and a core focus of the SSC Museum Collection. The research presented here is drawn from physical artifacts in the SSC archive and primary source documentation including city directory records, trade catalogs, and the SSC Ohio Foundry Directory.
Section 1 — The Smiley Logo
The defining mark of Favorite Piqua Ware is the Smiley face — a circular sun face with a broad smile cast into the center of the skillet bottom. No other American cast iron foundry used this mark. It is the most immediately identifiable logo in American cast iron collecting.
What The Smiley Mark Tells You
• Presence of the Smiley = Favorite Stove & Range Company, Piqua, Ohio
• The Smiley mark was used across the full production run of the Piqua line
• Variations in the Smiley's size, detail, and expression correlate with production era
• Early Smiley marks tend to have more detail and sharper casting
• Later marks may be shallower or less defined as molds aged
The Full Bottom Mark Layout
In addition to the Smiley face, a fully marked Favorite Piqua skillet carries:
• FAVORITE in arc above the Smiley
• PIQUA WARE below the Smiley
• Size number centered below PIQUA WARE
• Pattern number near the handle gate area
SSC Note: Not all Favorite pieces carry the full mark. Some pieces — particularly earlier or transitional production — may carry partial marks or variant arrangements. Partial marks do not disqualify a piece from attribution if other physical evidence supports it.
Section 2 — Production History and Dating
Favorite Stove & Range Company's production history in Piqua spans several distinct eras, each with identifiable physical characteristics.
Early Production (approximately 1880s–1910)
The earliest Favorite Piqua pieces represent the foundry's establishment and initial hollow ware production. These pieces are characterized by:
• Heavier casting weight consistent with late 19th century foundry practice
• Gate marks possible on the earliest pieces
• Heat rings standard
• Sharp, well-defined Smiley mark with high casting detail
• Machined cooking surface — smooth interior
• Thick walls and substantial feel
Peak Production Era (approximately 1910–1935)
The period of Favorite Piqua Ware's widest distribution and most refined production. Pieces from this era represent the Piqua line at its best.
• Heat rings present on earlier pieces in this window
• Transition to smooth bottom through the late 1920s
• Smiley mark well-defined and consistent
• Full FAVORITE / PIQUA WARE mark standard
• Cooking surface machined smooth
• Most commonly encountered Favorite pieces date from this era
Later Production (approximately 1935–1950s)
Later Favorite pieces show the production changes common to American cast iron foundries in the post-Depression, wartime, and post-war eras.
• Smooth bottom standard
• Casting weight may be lighter than peak era pieces
• Smiley mark may be shallower or less detailed
• Full mark generally retained
Section 3 — Bottom Configuration Dating
Gate Mark (pre-approximately 1890)
Gate marks on Favorite pieces are rare and indicate the earliest production. A gate-marked Favorite Piqua skillet is a significant find — among the oldest pieces in the Piqua production record.
Heat Ring (approximately 1880s–late 1920s)
Heat rings are present on Favorite pieces through the late 1920s. Their presence combined with the Smiley mark places a piece in the earlier portion of the production run.
• Smiley mark + heat ring = approximately 1880s–1928
• Heat ring pieces are generally earlier and more desirable to collectors
Smooth Bottom (approximately 1926–1950s)
Smooth bottom Favorite pieces are later production. Combined with the Smiley mark they place a piece in the post-1926 window.
• Smiley mark + smooth bottom = approximately 1926–1950s
Section 4 — Size Numbers and Actual Diameters
Favorite Piqua Ware used the same stove eye sizing system as Wagner and Griswold. Size numbers correspond to stove eye openings, not diameter in inches.
Favorite Piqua Size
Approximate Cooking Diameter
No. 3
6¼ inches
No. 4
6¾ inches
No. 5
7½ inches
No. 6
8 inches
No. 7
8¾ inches
No. 8
9½ inches
No. 9
10½ inches
No. 10
11½ inches
No. 12
13¼ inches
Section 5 — Identifying Authentic Favorite Piqua Ware
The Smiley mark is so distinctive that reproductions and fantasy pieces exist. Here is how to confirm authenticity.
Characteristics of Authentic Pieces
• Smiley cast INTO the iron — not applied or stamped
• Gate mark or heat ring on appropriate era pieces
• Machined cooking surface on genuine production pieces
• Weight consistent with era — not unusually light
• Casting texture consistent with sand mold production
• Full FAVORITE / PIQUA WARE mark present on genuine marked pieces
Red Flags
• Unusually smooth or uniform casting texture — may indicate modern reproduction
• Smiley mark that appears stamped or applied rather than cast
• Weight significantly lighter than comparable Ohio hollow ware
• No gate mark, heat ring, or smooth bottom — bottom configuration must be consistent with claimed era
• Mark depth inconsistent with casting quality of the piece
Section 6 — Quick Identification Reference
Mark Present
Bottom
Approximate Date
Notes
Smiley + FAVORITE PIQUA WARE
Gate mark
1880s–1890
Extremely rare — earliest production
Smiley + FAVORITE PIQUA WARE
Heat ring
1880s–1928
Most desirable collector era
Smiley + FAVORITE PIQUA WARE
Smooth
1926–1950s
Later production — still genuine
Smiley only / partial mark
Any
Any era
Verify with physical evidence
Section 7 — SSC Collection Examples
The SSC Museum Collection contains documented Favorite Piqua Ware pieces representing multiple production eras. Piqua is an Ohio foundry and a core focus of the SSC research mission.
Favorite Piqua Ware Skillet No. 6 — Smiley Mark
The SSC collection's documented No. 6 Favorite Piqua skillet. Full Smiley mark with FAVORITE / PIQUA WARE inscription. Complete pattern number identification and provenance record in the SSC catalog.
Favorite Piqua Ware — No. 7 Skillet
The No. 7 is one of the most functional sizes in the Favorite line — large enough for a full family meal, balanced enough for everyday use. SSC catalog documentation includes full maker history and production era dating.
The Columbus Hollow Ware Connection
The SSC collection also documents Columbus Hollow Ware — a related Ohio production line with connections to the broader Miami Valley cast iron trade. Collectors of Favorite Piqua Ware should be aware of the Columbus line as a companion Ohio foundry product.
SSC Note: Favorite Stove & Range Company operated in Piqua — in Miami County, Ohio — within the industrial corridor that produced some of America's finest hollow ware. The SSC Ohio Foundry Directory documents the full regional context of Piqua production within Ohio's cast iron heritage.
Section 8 — Favorite Piqua Ware in Ohio Cast Iron Context
Favorite Piqua Ware occupies a unique position in the American cast iron record — a quality Ohio foundry product with a signature mark as distinctive as any in the collector field, produced in a state whose industrial heritage is the focus of the SSC research mission.
While Wagner and Griswold dominate the collector market by volume, Favorite Piqua Ware is among the most sought-after Ohio pieces for collectors who know the line. The Smiley mark commands recognition and premium prices across all collector platforms.
The SSC Museum Collection's documentation of Favorite Piqua Ware is part of a broader research mission to document Ohio's cast iron foundry heritage — from the well-known makers of Piqua and Sidney to the obscure, defunct foundries of Cincinnati, Dayton, and northwest Ohio that no one else is documenting.
About The SSC Museum Collection
Steve's Seasoned Classics documents 130+ pieces from 50+ confirmed Ohio cast iron makers — the majority of them absent from standard collector references. The SSC research methodology pairs physical artifacts with original historical investigation, connecting marked pieces of Ohio cast iron to the patents, partnerships, city directories, and trade catalogs that tell the stories no one else is telling.
The Ohio Foundry Directory — SSC's comprehensive index of confirmed Ohio cast iron makers cross-referenced against physical artifacts, patent records, and archival sources — is scheduled for public launch in October 2026.
The iron endures. The markings tell the truth. The story deserves to be told.
Steve's Seasoned Classics — www.stevesseasonedclassics.com
Page: How To Identify Favorite Piqua Ware — Complete Collector's Guide
Section: Library → Identification Guides
Curator: Steve Thaman, SSC
Research standard: Primary source cross-referenced
Last updated: June 2026