1890s Hires Root Beer "Ugly Boy "Stoneware Advertising Mug by Mettlach
Mug is Near Mint Condition with a Very Small Chip at the Lip as Shown

Hires Root Beer Stoneware Mugs Were Popular Advertising Items 
Made by Villeroy & Boch in Mettlach, Germany
 Starting Around the Late 1890s, Early 1900s
These Mugs Were Distributed to Soda Fountains
to Promote Sales of Hires Root Beer Syrup. 

History

Manufacturer: the Mugs Were Produced by Villeroy & Boch at Their Mettlach Factory in Germany. the Bottom of the Mugs Are Typically Stamped with the Villeroy & Boch Coat of Arms or "Abbey" Mark and the Text "Made in Germany for the Charles E. Hires Company by Villeroy & Boch, Mettlach," Often Along with a Model Number Like #3095.

Advertising Icon: the Image Featured on the Mug, Often Referred to as the "Ugly Boy," Shows a Young Lad Holding an Identical Mug with the Slogan "Drink Hires Root beer". the Character Was Used in Hires Advertising Starting in the Late 1800s.

Production Era: the "Golden Age" for Mettlach Stein Production, Including These Advertising Mugs, Was from Approximately 1880 to 1910.

Identifying Marks: an Internal Dark Line near the Bottom Sometimes Marked the Syrup Fill Line for Precise Portions at Soda Fountains