Griswold skillets, made in Erie, Pennsylvania, are dated mainly by the logo on the base. In order, the main marks are ERIE, GRISWOLD'S ERIE, the slant logo, the large block logo and the small block logo. Lettering style, logo size, the wording beneath and the heat ring tell them apart. The company was sold in 1957.
Cross in a double circle, italic lettering; ERIE, later ERIE, PA., U.S.A.
1906–1929; 1909–1929
Large block logo
Bold upright lettering; often CAST IRON SKILLET; heat ring or smooth
1920–1940; 1924–1940
Small block logo
Smaller, lighter logo; no CAST IRON SKILLET; smooth bottom below size 12
1939–1957
Late large (“medium”) logo
Between the two block logos in size; ERIE, PA without U.S.A.
1955–1957; about 1955
Where two ranges appear, our two reference pages disagree. We show both rather than pick one; see how we handle conflicting sources.
Pattern numbers
Alongside the size, Griswold skillets carry a pattern number: 699 on a No. 6, 701 on a No. 7, 704 on a No. 8. A number that fits the size is supporting evidence. A wrong or oddly placed number is one of the signs of a fake.
Unmarked Griswold
Griswold also sold skillets without its name. The Iron Mountain line of the 1930s and early 1940s has an inset heat ring, italic numerals, a size number at 12 o'clock, a four-digit number at 6 and a handle with an untapered oval opening.
Reproductions
Fake Griswold pieces exist, many of them recasts made from a genuine pan. Signs collectors look for:
Soft, faint or hard-to-read lettering and generally poor casting.
A pan that is slightly smaller but heavier than the original, because iron shrinks when recast.
A gate mark on the bottom. Griswold and ERIE skillets were never cast with bottom gating.
A sideways gang-mold number outside the heat ring.
A misspelling or small marking difference alone does not prove a fake; some genuine pieces have them.
Lettering of the maker name: upright block letters
Logo size compared with the base: small: a modest mark
Raised ring on the base: none: smooth, flat base
A smaller, lighter logo without CAST IRON SKILLET. Smooth bottom, except sizes 12 and up, which kept a heat ring. Handles changed twice in this period (early, late, and late grooved).
Easily confused: The large block logo is bolder and fills more of the base.
Raised ring on the base: ring set in from the edge
Where the size number sits: on the base at 12 o'clock
Style of the size number: italic, raised
Underside of the handle: hanging hole is an untapered oval
No maker name. Inset heat ring, italic numerals, a half-inch size number at 12 o'clock and a four-digit part number at 6. The handle has an untapered oval opening (except on size 5).