AMERICAN POTTERY COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN MARCH 1942 AS THE STOIN-LEE POTTERY COMPANY IN BYESVILLE , OHIO AND WITHIN SEVERAL MONTHS CHANGED ITS NAME TO AMERICAN POTTERY CO. , (APCO) AND MOVED TO MARIETTA , OHIO WHERE IT OPERATED UNTIL 1965.

APCO'S FEATURE PRODUCT WAS COOKIE JARS DURING THE 1940S-1950S HEYDAY OF CERAMIC COOKIE JAR MANUFACTURING.

APCO  HAD CLOSE TIES WITH MANY OHIO RIVER VALLEY COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY WITH AMERICAN BISQUE POTTERY CO. (ABCO)  WILLIAMSTON,WEST VIRGINIA 1919-1982.  MOST COMPANIES EVENTUALLY EMPLOYED THE SAME DESIGNERS AND MOLD MAKERS AND EXECUTIVES OVER THE YEARS  IN THE AREA. THIS MAY EXPLAIN THE SIMILARITY AMONG PRODUCT LINES WITH VINTAGE POTTERY ITEMS.

 IT IS VERY EASY TO CONFUSE THE TWO COMPANY MARKS APCO , OR ABCO ON THE BOTTOM OF COOKIE JARS. THIS JAR HAS APCO READABLE THRU THE GLAZE ON THE BOTTOM. THE FIRST WORD "DESIGN" IS DIFFICULT TO READ AND THE PATENT NUMBER FOLLOWING " DESIGN" IS GLAZED OVER AND UNREADABLE. WE HAVE CIRCLED IN RED THE LETTERS APCO  IN THE PHOTO OF THE BOTTOM OF THE COOKIE JAR.