What Are These Markings on My Cast Iron?

Maker’s Marks, Shift Marks, and Other Theories

If you’ve ever flipped over a vintage cast iron skillet and squinted at the mysterious numbers, letters, or faint scratches on the bottom, you’re not alone. Cast iron collectors and casual cooks alike often ask: what do these markings mean? Are they a secret code? A production stamp? Is mine rare because its oddly off center?  I is unique or does it hold more value than another? 

Let’s break it down.

What Is a Maker’s Mark?

The most common markings are called maker’s marks. These are the official stamps from the foundries that made the piece, showing letters, numbers, or even markings or etchings.  It is generally accepted that these marks help identify both who made the piece and often when it was made.  Foundries used images in early pieces like the Erie 2nd Series skillets, or raised letters and numbers that early Lodge's are known for.  

Subtle differences in they type, shape, size, and font style help date the piece and determine the production era. It’s a bit like archeology for your stovetop.

✅ Want to browse by brand and era? Check out our Restored Griswold Cast Iron Collection to see pieces with maker’s marks from different production periods.

Pattern Numbers and Shift Marks

Many pans also have a number or letter off to the side. These are usually pattern numbers, used internally by foundries to track molds. They don’t always match the pan’s size, but they’re still helpful in identifying series and matching lids.

Then there are the legendary ghost marks that you will see in some of our descriptions. These show up as faint double lines, blurry lettering, or shallow grooves, usually created when an earlier pattern was used or recycled by the foundry to be used in a newer skillet. It’s essentially a “double exposure” in cast iron form, where the old logo peeks through behind the new logo.  Some collectors think shift marks indicated which shift team was casting at the time.  Others just like them because they show a transition period from one pattern to the next.  Early Griswold skillets are infamous for these.  

"Buttered Over":  Some pieces will have clear blocking or indented areas where it seems that a patch was put over the pattern.  That in fact is what we refer to as a "buttered over" logo.  Favorite Piqua is famous for these where they would again reuse a pattern from a previous logo, and sometimes it will be more obvious that a different logo was at one time below.  Lodge Arc skillet patterns sometimes will have a buttered look to them. 

What About Pans with No Markings?

If you’ve come across a skillet with no name or logo at all, don’t panic—it may still be a gem. Many unmarked pans were made by big-name foundries like Griswold or Wagner for hardware stores, catalogs, or department store chains. These “private label” pans often have excellent quality but none of the branding.

In fact, some of our favorite workhorse skillets are unmarked. They might not win awards in a collector’s group, but they cook beautifully and restore just as well as their flashier siblings.

Marked Skillets and The Value Question?

We are asked almost daily about particular pieces and if the value of one skillets' markings are more valuable that the other.   The answer is and will always be that value is placed on demand and not necessarily markings.   

What we mean by that is that value of a piece is both public and personal.  There are skillets we own that are priceless to us because they have sentimental value.  For example we feature Lodge Arc skillets on our homepage because they have the initials of our immediate family.  So we would never trade them for another "valuable" piece.  They mean too much to us.  

Ghost marks, Letter Skillets, Maker's Marks and other notables are really a window into our nation's craftsman past.  A time when someone hand made a piece with pride (we hope) and it has now been passed on to another generation.  Maker's Marks are a gate from the past to the present and are part of what make them so special to own and use!  

The Cast & Clara Bell Difference

At Cast & Clara Bell, we do more than clean up a skillet and slap a price tag on it. We help you choose the right pan for your lifestyle, your kitchen, and your cooking goals.

We start by learning about your stove type (gas, glass top, induction), your favorite meals, and whether aesthetics or collectability matters more to you. We’ve restored thousands of pieces and know how each series differs in weight, smoothness, wall height, and handle style.

All of our pans go through a complete electrolysis cleaning process—removing every bit of rust, buildup, and old seasoning—followed by organic seasoning with 100% beef tallow. We don’t use seed oils, synthetic sprays, or shortcuts.

Each pan is then wrapped in new, clean, recyclable materials. No greasy newspaper, no bubble wrap from someone's Amazon return—just a thoughtful, clean delivery of a pan that’s truly ready to cook with.

🧼 Learn more about our Restoration Process and why we only season with organic beef tallow.

So, Where Can You Buy Vintage Cast Iron?

You can technically buy vintage cast iron just about anywhere—garage sales, eBay, antique malls, Facebook Marketplace. But if you want a piece that’s truly restored, cooking-ready, and backed by a small team that’s been doing this for years, you’ve found your source.

We stand behind every piece we ship. Whether you’re brand new to cast iron or looking for a hard-to-find Griswold skillet, we’ll guide you through it like a consultant—not a salesperson.

🛒 Ready to shop with confidence? Start with our Restored Cast Iron Collection and feel free to reach out with questions—we’re always happy to help.