1 1/4L. Coat of Arms of the Guild of Brewers MAßKRUG

From the collection of Jorge O. Soriano

Rare 1 1/4 L. German Brewing Guild Symbol Masskrug

Appears massive compared to 1L steins even though it’s only an additional 1/4L.

Rare 11/4 L.

Lion and shield thumblift on Guard Duty!

Coat of Arms of the Guild of Brewers ?

Love the Lion!

Some nice metalwork around the heavy pewter lid.

I believe the lid depicts the Coat of arms of the guild of brewers, but there is also the two lions and crown, which could be a brewery logo???

Previous Owner’s Description:

“URALTER BIERKRUG (MAßKRUG) - BIER BRAUEREI”
“1 1/4 LITER RAR!!! mit DECKEL LÖWE ca. 1900”

Translation:

ANCIENT BEER STEIN (MASSKRUG) - BEER BREWERY”
“1 1/4 LITER RARE!!! with LION LID, circa 1900.”

Research Findings:

Volume Marking and Legal Context

Under the German Raumgehaltsgesetz (Law on Designating the Volume of Drink Vessels) of 20 July 1881 (effective 1 January 1884), only vessels of 1?L and above in 0.5?L increments were permitted, and smaller vessels in 0.1?L increments down to 0.25?L ?. In other words, legally allowed sizes included 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0?L etc., but not 1.25?L ?. Thus a 1¼?L marking would have violated the law after 1884. The presence of “1 1/4 L” suggests the stein (or at least its body) dates before this regulation took effect. In practice this means a manufacture date no later than the early 1880s.

Hinge and Lid Style

The pewter lid and hinge give additional clues. The stein has an open 5?ring hinge, a style not used on German steins until the late 19th century. The open five?ring (open?jaw) hinge design began appearing around the mid?1890s and became the standard through the early 20th century ?. (Earlier 19th?century steins often used a closed 3?ring or 4?ring hinge or strap mounting. For example, open three?ring hinges appear circa 1875–1895, and the open five?ring hinge only from about 1895 onward ? ?.) The lion-and-shield thumbpiece (a pewter cast of a crowned motif between two lions) attached directly to the lid is a decorative element typical of late 19th? or early 20th?century patriotic or brewery?themed steins. (Two rampant lions flanking a crown is reminiscent of Bavarian or imperial symbols, although the tools-in-bucket motif suggests a specific brewer’s guild or trade crest. Such figural thumbpieces became popular by c.?1890–1900.)


Probable Date Range

Combining the evidence: the capacity mark forces an 1881–1884 (or earlier) date, while the hinge style and decorative lid favor the 1890s or later. The most plausible dating is that the stein body was made in the late 1870s or early 1880s, before the 1884 law banished 1¼?L measures ?, and that the lid assembly (open 5?ring hinge) was fitted around the turn of the century (mid 1890s+ ?). In summary, the stein is likely late 19th century – roughly circa 1875–1895 – with the exact lid probably installed slightly later than the body. This is consistent with westerwald production methods of that era and the regulatory context.

View the collection of Jorge O. Soriano

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