About Early American Prescut (EAPC)

When Anchor Hocking launched the Early American Prescut (EAPC) line in its 1960-1961 Anchorglass catalog, it did so with very little fanfare. The company simply featured the first four pieces – the Large Serving Bowl, Large Candy Dish, Large Platter, and Hostess Tray – on the cover and allotted two-thirds of page 42 to black and white pictures of the four items with their dimensions and product numbers. That’s it. No written introduction, no verbiage touting Early American Prescut’s qualities, nothing.

Newspaper ads of the time were more verbose in their descriptions of Early American Prescut’s attributes, however.

Early American Prescut Crystal Clear Glassware

All the beauty and charm of traditional Early American cut glassware is captured in this brilliant, sparkling new crystal glassware.

Peoples Drug Store ad, Oct 26, 1960 in The Evening Star, Washington, DC.

Anchor Hocking’s automated, state-of-the-art glass manufacturing processes allowed it to mass-produce a wide variety of pressed glassware quickly and inexpensively. Banks, grocery stores, and other retail establishments often purchased EAPC pieces from Anchor Hocking to give away as premiums for opening a bank, spending x amount of dollars each week, and even getting a lube job!

EAPC Product Numbers

All EAPC items were designated by Anchor Hocking with line numbers in the 700s.

Florists continued purchasing the small 8.5″ vase until at least 2002. The creamer, sugar bowl with lid, cruet, and salt & pepper shakers with chrome-plated plastic lids remained in production until 1997. However, most pieces in the EAPC line were discontinued by 1978.

Other Prescut Patterns

In many of their catalogs, Anchor Hocking listed Early American Prescut under the heading of simply Prescut, along with other Prescut patterns. These include Oatmeal, Pineapple, some Stars & Bars, and Medallion. These other patterns are often confused with EAPC and listed as EAPC on eBay, Etsy, and other online markets. It doesn’t help that Replacements, Ltd lists EAPC, Oatmeal, and Pineapple together as Prescut Clear.

Early American Prescut is also often referred to by some collectors as “Star of David”.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal Prescut, or simply Prescut, pieces are similar to EAPC pieces in their fan motif. However, Oatmeal pieces don’t have any stars and their bowl and glass rims are always smooth. Many EAPC pieces, on the other hand, have scalloped rims – it’s one of their trademarks.

The “Oatmeal” name comes from the fact that items in this pattern were included free in packages of Crystal Wedding Oats by Quaker Oats. Oatmeal Prescut pieces have line numbers in the 500s and 600s.

It’s easy to distinguish Oatmeal drinking glasses from EAPC drinking glasses: Oatmeal glasses have flared sides, whereas EAPC glasses have straight sides. Oatmeal’s punch/snack cup was adopted into the EAPC line, and even given a 700 line number, so it could be included in Snack Sets and Punch Sets.

Pineapple

Pineapple Prescut, also known as Old Prescut, was first listed in the 1941 Anchor Hocking catalog, predating EAPC by almost twenty years. Most Pineapple pieces are Crystal in color, though occasionally in White as well. The Crystal Cigarette Box and Marmalade were issued with both Crystal and Royal Ruby Lids. Royal Ruby items are still highly desired today.

Stars & Bars

The 6″ #1070 and 9″ #1072 Stars & Bars bud vases which were first listed in Anchor Hocking’s 1949 catalog are also considered Prescut. Anchor Hocking adopted them into the EAPC family in the pattern’s Decor Set, but did not assign them 700 line numbers.

Early American Prescut Sets By Other Companies

Anchor Hocking often sold pieces in bulk to other companies to pair with their own items such as silver-plated lids, forks, knives, handles, trays, and wooden platters. There’s even a Guest Soap Set by Delagar. EAPC collectors should accordingly keep an eye out for EAPC items sold by Irvinware, Kromex, Wm Rogers, and others.

Items I’d never heard of pop up all the time.