Updated December 16: All mugs have been sold and I'm not sure when we will able to get more. Enter your email address to be notified when we are able to get more, which will probably be sometime in the first quarter of 2026.— Lee Wright | Founder
Also available, "Join or Die" plate in black
Made by hand in America using traditional methods and materials.
Redware was the most commonly used pottery prior to the 19th century. The name comes from its high iron content and coloration.
The mugs are lead free and food-safe and can be put in the microwave.
The text and image on these was taken from an illustration in Franklin’s The Pennsylvania Gazette, May 9, 1754. It was originally a warning to the colonies, urging them to unite against the French and Native American allies, and was later used as an appeal to the states during the Revolutionary War. The rattlesnake segments are labeled, S.C., N.C., V., M., P., N.J., N.Y., and N.E.
Because each is handmade, there will be slight differences and imperfections, as you can see in the photos. These should be expected.
Note that the bottom is not glazed, so it may be a little rough and you'll want to be careful setting it down on any nicely finished surface because it might scratch the surface. You can smooth the bottom with fine grit sandpaper or an emery board with a fine grain, or attach a small piece of felt, get one of our new coasters, or simply be careful not to slide it across a finished surface.
Size: 5.5" high x 3.75" diameter. When filled to about 1/2" below the rim, it holds about 2.5 cups.
Care: Handwashing recommended.
Historical background of the image
This political cartoon (attributed to James Turner (silversmith) for Benjamin Franklin) originally appeared during the French and Indian War, but was recycled to encourage the American colonies to join the Albany Plan for Union. From The Pennsylvania gazette, May 9, 1754. Abbreviations used: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and New England.
The practice of grouping the colonies east of New York (New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut) together as "New England" has a history that goes back to the Dominion of New England, established in 1686 . . . Delaware was not listed separately because it was comprised of three counties that were part of Pennsylvania, and did not gain independence from Philadelphia until after the Declaration of Independence was asserted. Prior to formal separation from Pennsylvania, Delaware was properly referred to as the "Lower Counties on Delaware".
The Province of Georgia was not originally included by Franklin (let alone other British colonies in North America) but was later added and can be see at the tip of the tail. Georgia, the youngest of what would come to be referred to as the "Thirteen Original Colonies", had only been chartered in 1732 as a haven for those incarcerated in England's debtors prisons, and its population was sparse.
Source: Wikipedia