Sweet Wheat - Avocado Wheat P-80-EP Percolator

Percolators are abound in the Corning Ware universe.  Things we never dared to dream existed, will suddenly appear out of nowhere.   This is what happened with this Wheat Floral (AKA: Harvest Wheat, Green Wheat, Wheat Sheaf, Avocado Wheat) P-80-EP Percolator.  

I feel very fortunate to have this in my collection.  There is an added bonus, in that it gives us some precedent for dating the pattern.   P-80-EPs were released in 1966 with Platinum Filigree gift line, and since the rest of the cookware pieces are of the P-series era, then spring of 1972 would be the pattern cut-off date.  

Other than those facts, nothing else much is known about this pattern; including the name, since no original boxes have been found as of yet.

Thanks to Tony, a member of the Corning Ware collectors group on Facebook, an packing insert has been found which points to this being called "Avocado Wheat" and being an exclusive offer to Atlantic Richfield Company Credit Card holders (that's ARCO gas).

Where is your Corning Ware??
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Still Growing Like a Wheat - My Corning Ware P-Series Mystery Wheat Collection (part 2)

I originally posted about this pattern a year ago, March 4th, 2014 to be exact, when I first came across this weird pattern.  I still know absolutely nothing about it except that it is pre-1972, because of the P-series numbers on the bottoms of the dishes.

I started out with a 1 3/4 quart Saucepan and a Roaster (P-1 3/4-B & P-21-B).  Then, thanks to a friend on FaceBoook, I was able to add a 1 quart (P-1-B) to my collection of this unusual pattern.  I posted a "My Collection" article in April of last year, hoping that some information might surface.  It took awhile, but in September, Francisco sent some photos, via email of his P-41-B Petite dishes.

Up until about December, that was the only other piece I knew of.... Then, someone in one of the Corning Ware Facebook groups posted a picture of a most fortuitous thrift store find..... A 10 inch skillet (P-10-B) in this pattern.  Since that day, I have been on the hunt for one....   I was finally rewarded and my collection grew by another piece (actually 3 pieces).

My collection of this mysterious pattern is, to my current knowledge, finally complete.... Or rather, it is complete until the next previously unknown piece comes to light.

UPDATE:   Which, as of August 2016, it has.  It is now known that a P-80-EP Electromatic Percolator (Smart Phone Photo Below)  was produced as well.  This 10 cup percolator model was released in 1966 with the advent of the Platinum Filigree Gift line, thus, we can now narrow the production dated for this pattern down to somewhere between 1966-1972.

The current count of pieces produced in this pattern is 6 so far.  They include, but are not limited to... (because there may be more as yet undiscovered pieces)

The 2 saucepans....

1 quart (P-1-B)

1 3/4 quart (P-1 3/4-B) - this piece may have been available as a Party Buffet set  (P-20)

10 inch Skillet (P-10-B)

13 inch Roaster (P-21)

12 oz Petite Dishes (P-41)

Newest addition to the line-up (08/2016) - P-80-EP Electromatic Percolator (10 cup)

To this day, the pattern name is unknown...   Green Wheat, Avocado Wheat, Wheat Sheaf, Harvest Wheat, Gold Wheat, Wheat Floral... All these names are still being thrown around, and any combination of them are used on eBay, but no one seems to have seen an original box (upon which the official name would be printed)  So for now, it remains the "pattern of many names".

As of 07-28-2022, the name of this pattern has been revealed as "Avocado Wheat" available exclusively to Atlantic Richland Company card holders (ARCO gas) around 1970.

Where is your Corning Ware??
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Growing Like a Wheat - My Corning Ware P-Series Mystery Wheat Collection

Thanks to one of my FB friend, Heather, my collection of "Harvest" Wheat has grown by another member....  I do not know what the official pattern name of this one is, but I like it.  I usually call it Wheat Sheaf, but Harvest Wheat, Golden Wheat, Avocado Wheat and just Green Wheat are some of the names I have seen.  I emailed the Corning Museum of Glass to see if they could help me in identifying this pattern, but I have received no reply as of yet.

So far I have accumulated a P-1-B, which is sitting on a P-1 3/4-B which is nestled in a P-21-B Roasting pan...

This is all I have seen so far, but if there are this many pieces, there are probably others as well.  Though which sizes, I cannot say for sure.  The entire Black Trefoil set, for example, consists of 2 Stove Top Percolators (6 & 9 cup), an Electromatic Percolator (10 cup), 1 3/4 quart & 2 1/2 quart Saucepans, and an Electromatic Skillet, so which pieces, if any, are still out there is anybody's guess.

I know it's not a "Test Pattern" because all the pieces are marked on the bottom with their appropriate model numbers and none of the test patterns I have seen, to date, have numbers printed on the bottom or under the handles.

Update 9/3/2014:  Special thanks to Fransisco for sending this great photo.  It appears that the P-41-B Petite pans came in this pattern as well.

As of 07-28-2022, the name of this pattern has been revealed as "Avocado Wheat" available exclusively to Atlantic Richland Company card holders (ARCO gas) around 1970.

Where is your CorningWare??
~~

This Ain't Your Mamma's Wheat Pattern - Gold Wheat? Green Wheat? Avocado Wheat? Harvest Wheat? Wheat Sheaf? Wheat Floral?

I have become the proud owner of a mystery.  As you may know by now, my favorite pattern is Corning's Wheat pattern. (that was suppose to be the original design)

The Wheat pattern, while loosing out in favor of the Cornflower in Corning's haste to get their product to market, was eventually revisited in the mid to late 60s, but no later than 1971 when the shape of Corningware as modified and the A-series was born; for there are no A-series Wheat pieces of which I am aware.  That being said, it has come to my attention that there was ANOTHER wheat pattern.

When I originally saw the P-21 Roaster on eBay over a year ago, I just assumed that it was a test pattern. (There were A LOT of test patterns)  As far as I know, test patterns weren't produced in full sets and more than likely consisted of 1 piece.  Thus, I made note of it, but pretty much ignored it, since it wasn't an actual pattern.

 (Photo courtesy of an eBay listing by )

Well, I stand corrected.  I am now in possession of a 1 3/4 quart saucepan (P-1 3/4-B) in the pattern and.........

I know someone who possesses a 1 quart saucepan (P-1-B).  (Thanks for letting me use your picture Heather!)

Evidently this really WAS a pattern, however, is no documentation ANYWHERE on the name.  I have seen it referred to as "Green Wheat", "Avocado Wheat", "Gold Wheat", "Wheat Floral" or "Harvest Wheat".  Personally, since I collect "Wheat", I like to refer to this as "Wheat Sheaf".

It is a strange color, not quite the same taupe-ish color of the J.C. Penney exclusive pattern....

Nor as Avocado-y as the Avocado Medallion.

It's most definitely not as brown as the official "Wheat" pattern. (which also appears on Pyrex in blue, BTW)

I think of it as a kind of a weird greenish gold color.....  It changes shade, depending on the other colors around it.  All in all, it's very odd.  I like it though.  It kind of suits my own weird, odd and strange nature.  It's interesting and different, unlike most of the other patterns of the time.  The wheat stalk count seems to change depending on the size of the piece.  The official Wheat pattern doesn't do that and neither do Trefoil nor Cornflower.  Though Cornflower changes to a vertical orientation on Percolators and has a few "leaflet" anomalies here and there. 

If anyone has any information on this pattern, such as official name, pieces made, or time frame, I would greatly appreciate it.  

As of 07-28-2022, the name of this pattern has been revealed as "Avocado Wheat" available exclusively to Atlantic Richland Company card holders (ARCO gas) around 1970.

Where is your Corningware??

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