Previous to the period 1825-30 the dinner sets made in England for the American market included cup plates of china. During this time the conventional cup plates were first put out by the Sandwich Glass Works and soon gained such great popularity, due both to their beauty and their fitness with any china, that cup plates were generally omitted from dinner sets thereafter. People who could not afford entire dinner sets had previously gone without cup plates and the glass cup plate was an innovation. Distribution of their products was a great problem at the Sandwich works. Much glass found its way over the country by way of the tin peddlers cart. The finding of a number of specimens in the same locality to-day can often be traced back to a peddler who went out of business in that particular town—his wares to be rediscovered by a later generation. The author has in her cup plate collection a slipware “proof” of the ship Cadmus. This was the first run of a new mold and served as a pattern from which to take orders. The iron molds were too much in use to show to prospective buyers and the little glass plates themselves too fragile and hence the proof of red glazed clay served the double purpose of showing necessary corrections in a new mold and giving the company a “sample” cup plate. These proofs are very rare as they seldom got out of the hands of the factory and were destroyed as new patterns were created to take the place of the old. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: PLATE I] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ _THE EAGLE GROUP_ 1. Fort Pitt—Eagle in flight grasping arrows and olive branch, 24 stars scattered in background, ribbon from eagle’s beak with words FORT PITT. Edge peacock feather design, wings half folded. Issued to recall Washington’s capture of Fort Duquesne—renamed Fort Pitt. A—Same serrated edge. Rare. 2. Rayed eagle—Deeply serrated, edge with bulls eye in each scallop, 13 stars with rays on stippled field. A—Smaller and more numerous serrations. Uncommon. 3. Miniature rayed eagle—Same as No. 2 with outer border omitted. This plate is the size of the bee-hive and is exceedingly rare. 4. Scroll bordered eagle—Fine stippling, shield on breast of eagle is lacking and the edge is unserrated. 5. Large eagle with 13 stars, medallion border, no stippling in background. Uncommon. 6. 1831 Eagle—Five stars signifying new states added, dated 1831, eagle facing to left. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Illustration: PLATE II]