Not everyone collects punch bowls for profit. Most people just like their pretty, practical aspects. But if you’re buying to re-sell (or if you found some among your grandma’s things), it helps to be familiar with valuable antique punch bowls. You want to know their true worth.
We’re going to look at some of the priciest ones on the market. But remember, these are asking prices, not validated sales. To get a more accurate estimate, talk to an appraiser or look for items that are marked as ‘sold’. That’ll help you set realistic rates for your treasure.
Valuable Antique Punch Bowls Worth Money
1. Antique Crystal Punch Bowl Set Includes Base Plus 12 Glasses
Traditionally, punch bowls came with cups and were used to serve … well … punch. This ubiquitous drink developed in 17th Century India, where it was made with five ingredients: alcohol, sugar, spice, water, and something sour. The Hindi word for 5 sounds like ‘punch’.
- Brand: Unknown
- Material: Cut Glass
- Year: Unknown
- Value: $450
In India, arrack, brandy, or rum provided the alcohol. The spice was typically nutmeg while the sour flavor came from lemon or limes. Today, punch isn’t as common outside of dorm parties (unless you count eggnog) so pricy punch bowls live in their protective display cases.
2. Milk Glass Punch Bowl, 8 Cups, Original Red Cup Clips, Plastic Ladle
While lots of us use our punch bowls for fruit, keys, coins, candy, or trinkets, it isn’t always advisable. Especially with glass punch bowls, because they can easily get damaged. Even soft items like craft yarn or flower petals might have some grit or metal bits that can get scratchy.
- Brand: Indiana Glass Co. Dunkirk
- Material: Milk Glass
- Year: 1960s
- Value: $114.81
Milk glass punch bowls are popular with casual collectors because they’re so pretty and can be easily matched with replacement cups. The bowl will sometimes have patterns that hint at serving suggestions. Bowls with carved grapes imply a fruity and/or wine-based concoction.
3. 18th Century English Delft Punch Bowl Blue Dec Antique Tin Glaze
You might be surprised (or not!) to learn how punch spread around the world – British sailors! Even after Queen Victoria banned the booze, kosher alternatives were developed using egg whites and sherbet. This particular bowl is well-used with several repaired chips.
- Brand: Unknown
- Material: Ceramic
- Year: 18th Century
- Value: $1,350
A bowl like this – assuming you intend to use it – can be easily matched with dainty teacups in similar patterns. You could even go all out and invest in pricy porcelain cups decorated with those trademarked cobalt blue patterns.
4. Chinese Vintage Dragon Punch Bowl
Chinese ceramics have been a hit for centuries, and yes, they got into the punch bowl space. These porcelain bowls were made in five sizes, and the pun was probably intended. It does help to know that vintage pieces are officially 50+ years old while antiques are 100+ years.
- Brand: Unknown
- Material: Ceramic
- Year: 1950s
- Value: $172.53
Keep in mind punch bowls were social accessories. They drew people together as they gathered around the bowl. Some of the more notorious guests would hover near the beverage so they could get more servings in those tiny cups. So the bowls often had display pedestals.
5. JE Caldwell Punch Bowl & Cups Antique American Sterling Silver
Remember Paul Revere of ‘The British are Coming!’ fame? His day job was silversmith, and he made a special silver punch bowl for the Sons of Liberty. It had all their names on it, plus some patriotic quotes. Back then, the bowl was considered high treason toward The Queen.
- Brand: JE Caldwell
- Material: American Sterling Silver
- Year: 1890
- Value: $7,150
But today, the bowl sits in a museum. And after he made it in 1767, silver punch bowls became popular and are now among the most valuable antique punch bowls. This particular bowl is marked so you can easily authenticate it. The pieces have a pretty patina and engraved décor.
6. Heisey’s Glassware 15 Piece Lariat Punch Bowl Set, Cups, Tray, Ladle
Crystal punch bowls are different from regular glass ones because they’re denser and clearer. They have lead in them – at least 24% – and classic pieces get as high as 32%. The more lead your crystal has, the heavier and more valuable they are. Lead also gives glass that grey tone.
- Brand: Heisey’s
- Material: Pressed Glass
- Year: 1940s
- Value: $300
But regular glass bowls can be valuable too, particularly the iridescent carnival glass that mimicked metal tones. EAPG is popular too (Early American Pressed Glass). It’s different from cut glass and has simpler pressed patterns as opposed to cut glass miters and facets.
7. Superb 20th C Elizabeth II Solid Silver Punch Set
As you have noted above, punch bowls will sometimes come with a lid or a ladle, so if you can find a matching set – even if your source them separately – you can hike your price. Also, while metal bowls routinely had the foot attached, glass ones might have separate pedestals.
- Brand: Garrard & Co.
- Material: Solid Silver
- Year: 1972
- Value: $13,038.98
If you get your pieces from an antique dealer, you might learn more about the history and provenance of the punch bowl set. This one from Pushkin Antiques claims Elizabethan heritage. It comes with a ladle, a tray, and 8 cups, all allegedly crafted from solid silver.
8. Vintage Rare Czechoslovakian Heavy Crystal Punch Bowl, Cups, Lid
Punch bowls didn’t always have lids, so if you find a covered one, you can get a good price for it. The lids kept the drink cool while further fermenting the fruits and alcohol in the punch. This piece is a good example of a glimmering crystal punch bowl with its lid and cups intact.
- Material: Crystal
- Year: 1920s
- Value: $275
The set originally had 10 cups, and if you have a complete set, that can considerably raise the value. The cups are quite distinct, so you might find substitute pieces in estate sales and online catalogs. But even without the missing pieces, this Czechoslovakian crystal is a gem.
9. Large Victorian-Style Punch Bowl with Sterling Silver Rim
You’ll often see items listed as crystal, but how can you be sure it’s authentic? Physically, the weight will give you a hint. Crystal is infused with lead, so it’s much heavier and reflects light. Under an x-ray, it reads like metal! But most items are cut glass or American pressed glass.
- Brand: ABP Hawkes
- Material: American Brilliant Cut Glass
- Year: 1940
- Value: $1,311.07
If you’re shopping online, read the listings and descriptions. Sometimes, they’re deliberately misleading for clicks. This piece – for instance – is listed as Victorian crystal from 1890, but the fine print notes below explain it’s a cut-glass American piece from Corning, New York
10. Large Unusual Antique Edwardian Quality Glass Punch Bowl, 18 Cups
Lead-glazed ceramics aren’t always appropriate for food because they’re potentially toxic. With crystal punch bowls, the lead is locked inside the glass and doesn’t come into contact with the beverage. This makes it safe to drink your punch, serve your dip, or have ice cream.
- Brand: Unknown
- Material: Crystal
- Year: 1910s
- Value: $664.11
This punch bowl set is thought to be Edwardian and it’s highly embellished. But it’s not as brilliant as some of the earlier pieces on this list, so it may have a lower level of lead. It has a stirring rod in addition to a ladle, which is an unusual feature. It works well with fruit punch.
11. Antique French Limoges Punch Bowl Grapes, 8 goblets 4″ Glasses Signed
Limoges pieces typically have two marks – a factory under the glaze and another one above it to identify the studio that made the piece. This colorfully classic one is from France and it comes with a set of fancy goblets rather than the typically teacup-styled ones we’re used to.
- Brand: Limoges
- Material: Hard-Paste Porcelain
- Year: 1908
- Value: $499
Both the cups and the bowl are decorated with hand-painted clusters of grapes, and it has an attractive effect that’s reminiscent of watercolors. The bowl and cups both have authentic Limoges stamps but in different fonts. The artist’s signature (E. Markert) is on the bowl.
12. Indiana Carnival Glass Marigold Punch Bowl Set, 10 Cups, Ladle
Maybe you can’t decide if your punch bowl collection needs a metal addition or a cut-glass specimen. Why not compromise with a cute piece in carnival glass? Those iridescent pieces have a rainbow-like reflective finish that works well with any style or theme of interior décor.
- Brand: Indiana Glass Co.
- Material: Carnival Glass
- Year: 1960s
- Value: $149.75
The set is made of lustrous amber so it calls to mind an old brass piece with reflective rainbow effects. The glass is decorated with grape carvings clustered below the scalloped rim. The ladle has two pour spouts to avoid spilling. It’s from the Harvest Gold Era in Dunkirk.
13. Minton Porcelain Punch Bowl Bleu Celeste HP Roses English Antique
If you’re looking for something truly unique, check out this colorful trophy-shaped antique punch bowl. The bowl doesn’t come with cups or a ladle, but that vast selection of colors makes it easy to find teacups that match. The bowl has its foot attached and is one foot tall.
- Brand: Minton
- Material: Porcelain
- Year: 1865
- Value: $2,700
This was not a piece that was hidden away, so it has accumulated a lot of wear and tear. It has some hairlines cracks. And while the colors remain vibrant, the bowl has flaked in certain places. It’s still a piece to be treasured, though you may have to keep it locked up.
14. Vintage German Rumtopf Punch Bowl Burg Cochem
German beer steins are massive among collectors, but did you know the style extended into punch bowls? The cups are harder to come by, but these covered bowls had the same intricate décor that was used on those famous Bavarian beer mugs. This is a classic sample.
- Brand: Burg Cochem
- Material: Ceramic
- Year: 1960s
- Value: $112.56
The punch bowl has a beige background with rich relief carvings and a cobalt blue undercoat. The lid handle is molded into an old-fashioned castle complete with towers and a moat. The handles are watchful maidens. The lid has a side slot where you can place the serving ladle.
15. Antique Chinese Export Porcelain Punch Bowl 18th C Yongzheng
Punch bowls that were imported from China had a simple silhouette, but their elaborated hand-painted surfaces made them a pleasure to use and display. And being ceramic, they don’t scratch as easily as silver or glass. But they’re still susceptible to falling and crashing!
- Brand: Unknown
- Material: Porcelain
- Year: Pre-1800
- Value: $2,680
This antique Chinese bowl is believed to originate in the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty. The rim is decorated with gilded patterns of fleur de Lys while the sides have people dressed in colorful ceremonial clothing. The gold décor has some scuffing and chipping from use.
16. Vintage Punch Bowl Crackled Crystal Austrian Zalzburger Kristall Glass
Folk that are new to trading might not know how to accurately evaluate a piece. Dr. Lori’s appraisal shows can be helpful, but you can also find a lot of information online. It can also be useful to keep an eye out for unusual pieces, though you have to be sure they’re quality.
- Brand: Austrian Zalzburger Kristallglass
- Material: Cracked Glass
- Year: 1960s
- Value: $250.14
This cracked glass punch bowl is the perfect example. To the amateur eye, they seem damaged. But they were blown with those shatters built-in, it’s part of the style. Clear bowls were favored for champagne punch because you could easily see the bubbles in your bubbly.
17. Antique 20th C German Art Nouveau Solid Silver Punch Bowl & Ladle
For our final item, let’s look at another piece from Pushkin Antiques. This one is easy to verify because it’s a military gift engraved with the names and ranks of Officer Shatilov and his troops. They were a company of Turkish soldiers from the Kozak Army in Chernamorsk.
- Brand: Gustav Memmert
- Material: Solid Silver
- Year: Early 1900s
- Value: $9,908.06
The punch bowl is a Russian import exceptionally designed in Art Nouveau style. It’s a large cylindrical cauldron with four coiled scroll feet and a curiously boat-shaped ladle. The writing on the bowl is in cursive Cyrillic and the ladle has decorative floral engravings too.
Who would be interested in buying old punch bowls and how would you know what kind and how old one is?
I have a antique punch bowl it’s over belong grandparents I’m 68 it was always sitting in great grandma’s china closet so could be Near hundred years old or close to it never seen any like it.how can I send picture to to appraise it