Mug Index

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The information on this page describes 13 different shaving mugs produced by Shulton and sold in the American market from 1938 until 1991. Information is also provided on more than a dozen other mug styles produced for Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe. There are also a few miscellaneous items. Values shown are based on average Ebay auction selling prices. The images presented are thumbnails; click them for larger pictures.

At the bottom of the page is a description of all the different Mug Covers that came on the mugs when new.

The Mug Index is organized as follows: Hull Pottery, American Glass Mugs, Canadian Mugs, Belgium Mugs, England Mugs, Miscellaneous, and Coffee Mugs.

	HULL POTTERY MUGS 1938 to Early 1950s Value Range: $10 to $25 These pottery mugs were made by the A. E. Hull Pottery Company in Crooksville, Ohio, between 1938 and the early 1950s. They were embossed on the bottom with one of two different markings although the markings can be very faint or almost illegible. The original mugs show the Ship Grand Turk and came in a box with a paper-thin wood veneer that is lithographed with 5 different ships. The Ship Grand Turk adorns the top, while the Ship Mt. Vernon, Brig. Experiment, Ship Friendship, and Ship Recovery appear on the four sides. These boxes were only produced from 1938 until around 1941. The wood veneer was lithographed in Japan and sent to the Shulton plant where it was glued to the cardboard boxes. After World War II started, the veneer was no longer available, and a cardboard box was introduced. Although the veneer is as thin as paper, one can clearly see the pores and grain with a magnifier. The bottom of the box bore an oval label that read: "Early American Old Spice. Fashioned with the charm and sterling quality of an Early American product. A reflection of a period unsurpassed in gracious living." These boxes are rather hard to find.
	HULL POTTERY MUG 01 1938-1941 The original Hull mugs were produced by the A. E. Hull Pottery Company, Crooksville, Ohio, from 1938 until 1944. They bore the Ship Grand Turk opposite the handle. The bottom bears the incised trademark: "EARLY AMERICAN" in a top arc, "SHULTON" at the bottom and "Old Spice Shaving Soap USA" in the center. (See inset) Dimensions: 3.0" high X 4.75" rim to handle. These mugs held 5.5 ounces of soap.
	HULL POTTERY MUG 02 1941-1944 Pottery Mug 02 bears an identical incising on the bottom as Pottery Mug 01 but bears the Ship Friendship instead of the Ship Grand Turk. This mug first appeared in 1941. Dimensions: 3.0" high X 4.75" rim to handle. These mugs held 5.5 ounces of soap initially, but in 1948 the capacity was reduced to 5.0 ounces.
	HULL POTTERY MUG 03 1944-Early 1950s Pottery Mug 03 is identical to Pottery Mug 02 except for the logo incised on the bottom. This mug reads "OLD SPICE" across the middle of the bottom instead of "SHAVING SOAP" (See inset). It is far more common than Pottery Mug 02. This mug was likely produced from around 1944 until the early 1950s. There may be slight variations in size. This mug originally held a 5.5 ounce cake of soap, and later (late 1940s) a 5.0 ounce cake.
	AMERICAN GLASS MUGS 1948 through 1992 Value Range $5 to $20 depending on age and condition The first glass mugs were manufactured by the T. C. Wheaton Company in Millville, New Jersey. The "pottery-glass" containers are similar to opal glass, but are manufactured in a clay color with a luster very close to pottery. Developing this glass required several months of research and several thousand dollars to determine the right blend of ceramic materials to give a realistic pottery appearance. The glass mugs have a small number on the bottom. This number is a mold or cavity indication used for quality control in the production process. The large group of glass mugs has been arbitrarily divided into "Early" and "Late" based on the shape of the mug. Early glass mugs are larger and have straight sides, closely resembling the original pottery design. They were sold from about 1948 until the mid 1950s. Late Glass mugs were a little shorter and are characterized by slightly tapering sides. They were sold from the mid-1950s until 1992.
	This is a glass mug that you probably won't find in any antique store. It is in the Procter and Gamble archives and I believe it is a sample of the earliest glass mugs made by Wheaton Glass in New Jersey starting in 1946.
	EARLY GLASS MUG 01 and 02 1948-Early 1950s The first glass mugs were introduced around 1948-1949. They resemble the smaller pottery mugs in all respects except for the glass and the markings on the bottom. The glass colors range from almost white to a creamy yellow. These mugs bore the "Ship Friendship." The bottom is marked "Early American Old Spice" in a top arc with "Shulton Inc., Clifton, N.J." in a bottom arc. The arcs are separated with a single star on each side. This mug held a 5.0 ounce cake of shaving soap. A paper label like the one shown at left was attached to the bottom. Early Glass Mug 02 is identical in all respects to Early Glass Mug 01 except for the inclusion of small ribs around the inside of the mug bottom to hold the soap in place! The first model had three ribs, followed rather quickly, I believe, by the six ribbed model. The ribs appear in all Old Spice shaving mugs that follow with the exception of the Blue Mug issued in 1985. This mug held a 5.0 ounce cake of shaving soap. Dimensions 2.75" high X 4.5" rim to handle.
	EARLY GLASS MUG 03 Early 1950s This mug has the "new" logo (shown bottom left) distinguished by the "O" in Old and the "S" in Spice, but the Ship Friendship is the same as Early Glass Mug 02. The bottom is marked "Early American Old Spice" in a top arc with "Shulton Inc., Clifton, N.J." in a bottom arc. The arcs are separated with a single star on each side. This mug held a 5.0 ounce cake of shaving soap. Dimensions 2.75" high X 4.5" rim to handle.
	EARLY GLASS MUG 04 mid to late 1950s This mug was introduced in the mid to late 1950s, and is distinctive for two reasons: subtle changes to the graphic portrayal of the Ship Friendship and greatly improved graphics quality as shown in the comparison, below left. The bottom is marked "Early American Old Spice" in a top arc with "Shulton Inc., Clifton, N.J." in a bottom arc. The arcs are separated with a single star on each side. Dimensions 2.75" high X 4.5" rim to handle. This mug held a 5.0 ounce cake of shaving soap.
	EARLY GLASS MUG 05 late 1950s-1960 In this mug, produced in late 1950s to 1960, the words "Shaving Mug" were printed in blue beneath the image of the ship. The ship appears opposite the handle. The bottom is marked "Early American Old Spice" in a top arc with "Shulton Inc., Clifton, N.J." in a bottom arc. The arcs are separated with a single star on each side. Below left is a picture of the mug with a misaligned logo. These are very rare, a testament to the quality control used by Shulton and the Wheaton Glass Company. Dimensions 2.75" high X 4.5" rim to handle. This mug held a 5.0 ounce cake of shaving soap.
	EARLY GLASS MUG 06 1961-1964 This mug was sold from about 1961 until 1964. This is the first mug to have a slight taper to the sides and the words "shaving mug" were dropped. This is also the last mug produced with no lip on the top outside edge. Bottom is marked Old Spice and Shulton with a number that is the mold mark used by Wheaton Glass in the mug manufacturing. Dimensions 2.25" high X 4.5" rim to handle. This mug introduced a smaller cake of shaving soap at 4.0 ounces.
	LATE GLASS MUG 00 Early 1960s The graphics on this mug are identical to the Early Glass Mug 06, and the sides are tapered, but note the lip around the top rim.
	LATE GLASS MUG 01 Late 1960s This one has the words "Old Spice" in red opposite the handle, and a ship (an unnamed Ship Friendship) on each side. This mug comes in cream color and a pure white. Bottom is marked Old Spice and Shulton with a number that is the mold mark used by Wheaton Glass in the mug manufacturing. Dimensions 2.25" high X 4.75" rim to handle. This mug held 4.0 ounces of shaving soap.
	LATE GLASS MUG 01A Mid 1960s This mug is a variant of Late Glass 01. Note that the ship is slightly different - the pennant is curled above the mainsail and there are no waves beneath the ship. The script "Old Spice" is also a bit bolder. The bottom markings do not indicate a foreign country of origin. This may cause a little confusion with the Belgium Mug 01 to which it is identical but is marked "Made in Belgium." Dimensions 2.25" high X 4.75" rim to handle. This mug held 4.0 ounces of shaving soap.
	LATE GLASS MUG 02 1964-1978 This mug was sold from 1964 until 1978. The ship name appears opposite the handle, with Ship Grand Turk on each side. Bottom is marked Old Spice and Shulton with a number that is the mold mark used by Wheaton Glass in the mug manufacturing. Dimensions 2.25" high X 4.75" rim to handle. This mug introduced a reduced shaving soap cake of 3.75 ounces.
	LATE GLASS MUG 03 late 1970s It is difficult to date Late Glass 03 and 04 precisely. They both have the Ship Recovery on one side, and all the Shulton sales material I have reviewed only shows the "Ship Recovery" view. Therefore it is impossible to know what ship is on the hidden side! Late Glass Mug 03 shows the Ship Recovery on both sides. I believe it was manufactured for a few years starting in 1978. Bottom is marked Old Spice and Shulton with a number that is the mold mark used by Wheaton Glass in the mug manufacturing. Dimensions 2.25" h X 4.75" rim to handle. This mug held 3.75 ounces of shaving soap.
	LATE GLASS MUG 04 mid 1970s-1992 It is difficult to date Late Glass 03 and 04 precisely. They both have the Ship Recovery on one side, and all the Shulton sales material I have reviewed only shows the "Ship Recovery" view. Therefore it is impossible to know what ship is on the hidden side. This glass mug was introduced around mid 1970 and I believe it to be the last mug produced. It has two ship images on opposite sides of the mug. One is the Ship Grand Turk - Salem 1786 and the other is Ship Recovery - Salem 1794. The bottom is marked with "Old Spice Shulton." Bottom is marked Old Spice and Shulton with a number that is the mold mark used by Wheaton Glass in the mug manufacturing. Dimensions 2.25" h X 4.75" rim to handle. This mug held the smallest sized cake of shaving soap at 3.0 ounces.
	CANADIAN MUGS Value Range $10 to $30 The mugs listed here are classified as Canadian because they are all clearly marked as Canadian products in the graphics. Note, however, that some of these mugs were made in Belgium and are so marked on the bottom. The sequence of the mug numbers from 1 to 11 has nothing to do with their chronology, but more with the order in which they were "discovered." (I am indebted to collectors Charley, Tom and Ray for research and photos on these mugs.) Unfortunately I cannot be certain as to the dates for any specific mug, but 1970s through 1990 would be a safe estimate. The numbering of these mugs is of my own fabrication to keep them straight! Note there are no waves beneath these ships, which I believe to be Ship Recovery. Dimensions 2 1/4" to 2 3/8" high X 4.5" rim to handle.
	CANADIAN MUG 01 Marked "100g" and "Shulton Toronto Canada." Bottom is marked "Made in Belgium."
	CANADIAN MUG 02 This mug is bilingual, bearing both "shaving mug" and "bol a raser." It includes the marking "P&G" for Procter and Gamble, dating it between 1989 and 1992. Bottom is marked "Made in Belgium"
	CANADIAN MUG 03 Note the labeling underneath "Old Spice." Bottom is marked "Made in Belgium"
	CANADIAN MUG 04 Note the reference to Procter & Gamble, making this a post 1989 mug. Bottom is marked "Made in Belgium"
	CANADIAN MUG 05 Note the change in information directly below the words "Old Spice."
	CANADIAN MUG 06 Plain text; US Ensign. Bottom is embossed "Made in Canada."
	CANADIAN MUG 07 Marked "Shulton, Toronto, Canada"; U.S. Ensign.
	CANADIAN MUG 08 Marked "Shulton Company, Toronto, Canada"; Blank Ensign
	CANADIAN MUG 09 Marked "Shulton Company, Toronto, Canada, Net Wt. 4 OZ., Poids Net 4 OZ. 3700"; "X" Ensign.
	CANADIAN MUG 10 Marked "3700, Shulton Company, Toronto, Canada, 100 g." "X" Ensign.
	CANADIAN MUG 11 Marked "Shulton Company, Toronto, Canada"; "X" Ensign.
	BELGIUM AND ENGLAND MUGS Value Range $10 to $30 The first three mugs below resemble in graphics the Late Glass Mug 01 and the Late Glass Mug 04. They are however, embossed on the bottom with "Made in Belgium" or "Made in England." Note there are no waves beneath these ships, which I believe to be Ship Recovery. Dimensions 2.5" high X 4.5" rim to handle.
	BELGIUM MUG 01 This mug has only the words "Old Spice" and two ship images, appearing very much like the Late Glass 01 mug. Bottom is marked "Old Spice" "Made in Belgium" "Shulton". There will also be a number that is a mold mark indicating which mold was used in manufacturing.
	BELGIUM MUG 02 This has the Ship Recovery on both sides. It resembles the Late Glass Mug 03 and has the same dimensions, but the ship and the printing are smaller. Bottom is marked "Old Spice" "Made in Belgium" "Shulton". There will also be a number that is a mold mark indicating which mold was used in manufacturing.
	ENGLAND MUG 01 This mug is identical to the Belgium Mug 02 in all respects. It is, however, the only mug embossed "Made in England." It was manufactured by Rockware near Dorchester, England.
	ENGLAND MUG 02 $285 - RARE This mug is made by Wade Pottery in England and shows a ship on one side and an Old Spice inscription on the other. The mug comes with a porcelain cover. Based on the Wade pottery mark, this mug dates between 1969 and 1984.
	MISCELLANEOUS The two mugs below do not easily fit in the other categories.
	BLUE/BLACK SHAVING MUG $10 to $20 - Mug Only $30 - Set This is probably one of the latest mugs produced. It is heavy pottery with a deep blue or black glaze, and the only decoration is the single white ship in silhouette. The bottom reads: "Old Spice, 1985 Shulton" This mug is made in Taiwan and included a matching brush. Dimensions: 3.25" high by 5" rim to handle.
	TRADITIONAL STYLE SHAVING MUG $20 to $30 This mug is 3.5 inches high with a more traditional style. It was manufactured by the Nelson McCoy Pottery Company around 1970. Correspondence with former Shulton employees indicates that it was not marketed commercially, but appears to have been a premium or gift given by sales representatives to their accounts. It may also have been given to employees as a gift. "USA" is incised into the bottom; there are no other markings.
	COFFEE MUGS Old Spice also produced a few coffee mugs as shown below.
	MORNING REFRESHER COFFEE MUG 1984-1985 $7 - Decorated $18 - Plain There are actually two mugs shown here - one decorated, one plain. Both mugs are marked on the bottom with an embossed script "Old Spice." The decorated mug was included in a "Morning Refresher" gift set that included After Shave Lotion 4.25 oz. and Shave Cream 6 oz. The set sold in 1984 and 1985 for $10.75. Dimensions 4.0" high X 5.0" rim to handle.
	COFFEE MUG 1980 $50 - Fairly Rare This mug originated in Canada and is marked Made in England. It looks to be a coffee mug. Date is uncertain, but its graphics would make it post 1980
	NISSAN COFFEE MUG $35 The bottom of this coffee mug is marked "Staffordshire Table Ware Made in England"

MUG COVERS

Shaving soap mugs were sold with some type of covering material to keep the soap clean. These covers were initially temporary in nature (paper or flimsy) to protect the product in shipping and while on display in the stores. Later covers were a bit more substantial and could be used by the consumer to cover the mug between shaves. Below is display of these covers according to their material and in a chronological order of their appearance. The listing is from oldest to most recent.

Paper Covers

The original covers were made of a heavy paper or thin cardboard inserted over a crimped paper liner.

This is the first cover to be used on the original pottery mugs, used from 1938 to the early 1940s.

This is the second paper cover used, shown here on pottery mug 03 (Ship Friendship).
This style was in use from the early 1940s to around 1946.

The last paper cover shown here on an early glass 01 was used from 1946 to 1948.

Clear Plastic Covers

There were two styles of clear plastic covers used. Note that the paper liner is gone.

This style was used from around 1948 to 1955.

This style was used from 1956 to 1962

Thin Opaque Covers

From 1963 until the end of the mug availability in 1992, a thin opaque red plastic cover was used.

From 1963 until about 1967 the cover bore a printed gold compass rose with the words Old Spice.

From 1967 through the 1980s, the plastic was a bit thinner and was stamped with a raised compass rose and letters.

Hard Plastic Covers
One other style of covers was used. These are a hard plastic and appear to be made for more durable use. Since all the known sources for these plastic covers is from mugs purchased from outside the United States, my guess is that these were for use (perhaps required?) in non-US markets. I also speculate that the gold and plain styles correspond to the dates of the thin plastic above. The style on the left (plain) appeared in two forms as shown below: with the letters and compass rose raised and with them embossed.

This cover has a small tab to facilitate lifting off. The cover has the words "OLD SPICE" in side a center circle around which is a compass rose. The lettering and compass rose are embossed as opposed to raised.

The "graphics" on this cover are identical to those above except that everything is raised above the surface of the plastic. Note also there is not tab on this style.

The last of the hard plastic covers has the gold lettering and compass rose printed on the plastic lid.

This cover has the same graphics as the one above, except that it, too, has the little tab on the edge (bottom of picture).