Franciscan Autumn Pattern plate & saucer: as high as 716,100 ppm Lead in the glaze.
Autumn Pattern: 1955 – 1966
Also: 73,000 ppm Arsenic.
Note: the plate was higher lead than the bowl, and they look like they are from different batches based on the maker’s marks on the bottom. The bowl / saucer was in the neighborhood of 350,000 ppm lead.
To learn more about XRF testing, Click Here.
For Context: Items intended for children are required by current legislation to be under 90 ppm lead in the glaze, paint or coating. Dishes (especially vintage dishes!) are not regulated for total lead content (as detectable with an XRF instrument.)
I would not ever consider these dishes safe to eat off of. If you have dishes like this (any dishes from Franciscan actually) please consider disposing of them and perhaps just saving one and putting it in a shadow box (behind glass) with a story about how it came to be yours (whatever family story is important to you in relation to why you have the dish.)
To see more Franciscan pieces I have tested, click here.
Click here to see some lead-free dishware options!
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you for reading and for sharing my posts!
Tamara Rubin
#LeadSafeMama
Do these test positive for swabs? If yes, at what rate? Is it 1 in 10 that are positive? 1 in 100?
This brand is ALL positive for high levels of lead. Most of the vintage Franciscan will test positive with a swab if left on a shelf for a period of time first. If it is recently washed it will not likely test positive with a swab (as the exuded lead dust will have been washed off and needs to re-accumulate before testing positive in that way.) The apple, cherry and rose patterns will almost always test positive with a swab (even a light pink if recently washed), and the other patterns do not seem to test positive with a swab as frequently as those.
I have the Franciscan Coronado Pink Beige collection. Some pieces are shiny, some are matte. Some are chipped. I have 14 dinner plates, cereal bowls, soup bowls, salt and pepper, platters, salad plates, tea cups, tea pot, saucers, bread plates, gravy boats…none of it says dishwasher safe. My mother collected it starting in the 1970’s and this was our daily dish ware. She then gave the whole collection to me. I haven’t used it but recently unpacked it all from dusty old boxes, cleaned out the broken pieces and dust, and ran a lot through the dishwasher. I had a hunch about lead later that day, and found your site. Impressive work, thank you for what you do! Anyway, do you think this pattern has lead too? I would love to email you some pictures.
Hi Erica!
Thank you for commenting. Please feel free to send me pictures at TamaraRubin@mac.com
Tamara
HI, I was wondering if you got an answer to the coronado pattern containing lead, I have ivory pieces.
Thank you, Shannon
Are other vintage dishes dishes also high in lead. I have the Franciscan autumn set that I haven’t used but also Johnson bros. Devonshire.
I have the whole set of Franciscan Autumn Leaves even Tea & tall beverage pot I was planning on using. I read if washed before use the LEAD content is very little. Infact I have around 60 sets of vintage porcelain & ceramic dishes. Where would I get a lead swab locally? I want to overcome the Killjoys of this.
Surprise Surprise you’re from Oregon–capital to all things liberal and over the top. Curious how many deaths can be attributed to dinnerware from Franciscan or other companies. Hoping you can provide some facts related to impact on the public. Not likely because you and your brethren are too busy destroying Portland and the rest of your state. Sad and pathetic.
I’m originally from the Boston, Mass area. I have also lived in New York City and Paris. I see you are in Mesa, Arizona – IP address: 98.177.251.143, longitude/latitude: 33.3825 (lat) / -111.875 (long)
Lead poisoning doesn’t cause death in most cases. More often than not symptoms can include aggressive (sometimes rude) behavior, lack of impulse control, impacted (compromised) critical thinking – as well as erectile dysfunction, increased risk of kidney disease, increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of memory impairments later in life…. and again – sometime rude / angry / belligerent/ anti-social behavior. Does that sound like anyone you know Bozo?
Here’s some info on symptoms – you may want to check and see what OTHER symptoms you have: https://tamararubin.com/2017/01/what-is-the-impact-of-lead-poisoning-in-adults-including-college-age-students/
My privacy policy allows for me to make information from bullying comments public – this includes things like your email and I.P. address… so you may want to chill out with your aggressive unscientific bullshit. Have a nice day: bozotheclown@gmail.com.
Tamara
I want to know if Autumn by Franciscan is safe to eat off of or is lead content too high….also is it microwave safe. I received this in my wedding shower in 1957 and have ordered extra pieces from you. I want to give it to my daughter but want to make sure it’s safe.
I would NOT consider it at all Lead safe (it is NOT safe for food use.) The Lead Levels in the glaze are incredibly high and likely to poison the user with regular use. Please read some of my other related Franciscan articles. (Click the Franciscan tab at the top of the post.)
Tamara
Hi! Im wondering if you’ve had any results/update about Coronado? I have both ivory and pink, and have read various and conflicting reports, including whether even occasional use is ok (for adults) or not.
If not, how would one go about finding out PPM for these? I’ve found it for many other styles but not Coronado.
Thank you!!
I have not found any specific details about my pink Coronado dishes either! So I have just held on to my dishes, but I don’t use them. I just assume that since they are from the same era as the others that have been tested, they have lead.
When I was a child in the 80’s, these were our daily family dishes! We put them in the dishwasher and everything. My parents and sister are all fine, I did have heavy metal found on a test.