The Early Jug Shakers #86B: 1938
The Early Jug Shakers share the same design as a 2 quart jug #86 in the regular Frankoma line and a miniature #554 just like the shaker but with a pour spout. Like the early Barrels #44H these Jugs also share their name with a later shaker set modeled after a whiskey jug. I therefore reference them as “Early” Jugs to differentiate the two.
Schaum lists these as made from 1938-1942 but I cannot confirm the latter date. The 1942 catalog does not offer this pair of shakers although it does offer the very similar #554 Jug. The glazes I can document do not include any 1942 only glazes as with the #44’s and the #45’s. I have yet to see an oval “o” on these also. These appear in the 1938 catalog only. A very short production run, possibly only the partial year 1938 before the fire, accounts for the rarity of these. I believe that Frankoma did not produce this shape after the fire of 1938.
The 86B Jugs are by far the rarest of the Frankoma shakers. I spent three years actively searching for a pair. Finally, in the year 2000, I purchased a single pepper in royal blue, and a pair in ivory to complete my set. I have heard talk of about six pair in the hands of other collectors. I am sure there are more but experience tells me that the 86B is rare. I have seen a prairie green single, and an onyx pair listed for sale both at prices I could not bring myself to pay.
Two different pour hole sets seem to be available, a “large” arrangement and a “small” arrangement. The royal blue and prairie green shakers below are the “large” type. The rest are of the “small” type. I find the small hole set most commonly. Another interesting feature of the 86B jugs is the fill hole size. Almost all Frankoma shakers have a 13mm fill hole. The 86B’s I have seen vary from 9mm to 13mm. Perhaps these were made at the very beginning when Frankoma was deciding just how big the fill hole should be. It is certainly a slow and precise process to fill a large shaker like these through a 9mm hole!