From: Paul Kosmatka (stcloud@home.com)
Location: Minnesota
Date: 4/9/00
Time: 8:36:35 PM
This crock was likely made in 1909, the apparent year of the transition from birch leaves to wings.
There are many double stamped crocks around, but very few with both leaves and wings. I've seen a 5 gallon crock so marked, but never a 10. The "ski" oval makes it even more unique.
As for historical significance, I believe this represents one of the many "oops" pieces that came out of the Red Wing potteries. My guess is that at the time of the" leaves" to "wings" transition, some crocks got double stamped by overzealous employees. These probably weren't meant for distribution.
Placing a value on near "one of a kind" pieces is difficult, and the market for such rare pieces is small. At auction, I'd expect this piece to bring at least $750 and possibly much more.