Collecting Mettlach Beer Steins

Mettlach beer steins are some of the most well known beer steins in the world. Manufactured in Mettlach, Germany, these steins were trademarked under the names of Mercury, Old Tower, and Castle. The late 1800 to early 1900’s was the period of its peek production. Production was halted at one point due to a massive fire at its factory. Production was interrupted for fifty years.

Mettlach steins are mostly made from stoneware. Most Mettlach steins have a distinctive white glaze applied to the inside of the steins, with a hand etched exterior.

Mettlach steins are great for collecting. They are beautiful in appearance, easy to identify, and most are in excellent condition. As a beginner beer stein collector, Mettlach’s are the way to go if you understand the special types of Mettlachs that were created.

Bravaria

The Bravaria line can be easily identified by the word Bravaria in the trademark. These steins were manufactured in the early 1900’s and feature simple body decorations.

Hand Painted Steins

There were quite a few custom Mettlach steins created. Most steins were hand painted outside of the factory by actual artists working under contract with the company. That makes each of these hand painted steins highly unique.

Special Order Steins

Seeing that Mettlach Steins were some of the most sought after steins of its time, it is no wonder that Mettlach began to produce custom steins for its customers. Steins with German and English writing were created for individuals and organizations here in the United States

PUG Steins

Pug steins are different from other Mettlach steins in that this line is the only line that is smooth to the touch. The reason for this is the method used to get the design on the outside of the stein. The design on the stein was simply transferred from metal sheets onto the stein. Since this form of decoration required less focus, it was also an inexpensive line of stein.

These types of Mettlachs are easy to identify once the collector has a feel for them. The outside texture, the inside coating, and the graphics on the exterior or all indications of which model of Mettlach in which you are looking Pay close attention to the details, and start looking for some Mettlachs to add to your collection.