November 2, 2026

The World of Churchill Collectibles, by Brian Krapf

A variety of wartime items made of porcelain, glass, paper or cloth feature Prime Minister Churchill and President Roosevelt. Regardless of the form or composition, materials featuring the two allied leaders are the most impressive of the era and highly sought today. During wartime, the manufacturers made these as homefront patriotic items for immediate use. They could never have realized their wares would endure over eighty years afterward to represent one of the most famous political alliances in history.

Roosevelt and Churchill met briefly during the Great War and began corresponding with each other when Churchill returned to the Admiralty in 1939. However, after Churchill became prime minister, these two world leaders forged a personal friendship and working partnership which Churchill described as a “special relationship” between the United States and Great Britain. During the war, Roosevelt and Churchill spent 113 days together and exchanged around 2000 messages. Both men came from vastly different political backgrounds; Roosevelt was the elected president of a democracy, while Churchill was the prime minister of a country whose government was a constitutional monarchy. Despite these differences, they were united and driven in their mission to defeat the Axis powers. They forged a bond which defeated an enemy many deemed insurmountable. In doing so, they were the liberators of the world.

The two toby mugs pictured here were produced by Minton in 1941 and designed by the company’s master modeler, Eric Owen. The attached photo shows they were produced with two finishes- an off-white (Roosevelt) and pearlware (Churchill). Notice that the Roosevelt toby mug is larger, as it was made for export to the American market. Pairings of Churchill and Roosevelt mugs produced by other British porcelain manufacturers are similarly of different sizes, again with Roosevelt being the larger of the two for shipment to the United States.

At the same time Minton produced the two toby jugs designed by Mr. Owen, the company also produced a pair of Churchill and Roosevelt face masks utilizing the same designs. These were made to hang on the wall, with Roosevelt again being the larger of the two. Both the toby mugs and the face masks are highly sought by collectors, as they represent some of Minton’s finest wartime work. They are usually acquired one piece at a time as they rarely appear at market. Owning a pair of these beautiful and meaningful pieces is well worth the wait.