I was in an antique store yesterday in a major oil producing region that had quite a few porcelain oil company field lease signs for sale. They had several Texaco, Getty, and Standard Oil of California porcelain oil field lease signs. All were in the $75.00 to $95.00 price range. My attention was drawn to a Texaco porcelain oil field lease sign that, instead of Texaco, said “The Texas Company,” with the usual well and lot coordinates in smaller letters below. The sign was priced at $175.00. The condition was a 5 or 6 on a scale of 10, with dents and dings, and chips and rusting around the mounting holes. I am familiar with the Texaco/Texas Company story. I already own a near-mint “Texaco Producing Inc.” oil field lease sign.

My question is this: Is this “Texas Company” oil field lease sign fairly rare which obviously predates the now-familiar Texaco name? Or was “Texaco” and “the Texas Company” used interchangeably so no big deal? Or is a “Texas Company” oil field lease sign never a big deal and never will be. Or who cares. I researched on Ebay this morning and found a similar looking “Texas Company” lease sign that sold for $49.00 last March. So maybe I answered my own question. The Standard Oil of California also peaked my interest. Thanks for any input.

The Texas Company switched to Texaco Inc. in the early 1960s. I believe this was the time they started using the circle R beneath the star as the trademark (was formerly Reg T.M.)

I've found Texaco lease signs in the wild that had another porcelain strip sign that says "Texaco Inc" which Texaco placed over "The Texas Company" on the original lease signage. Not even decals or stickers, a whole other porcelain sign... That's Texaco for you, exacting and extravagant with their imaging standards.

The best "Texas Company" signs have logos... Not super valuable but cool

Generally speaking lease signs without company logos are cheap... $45-90.

Lease signs with logos and bright colors can command up to $300. Shell being a prime example. Texaco with the Logo regardless of trademarking tends to fall $150-250 average.

As leases were bought up, changed hands, or kept for years signs would come and go, some simply discarded nearby while others left to rot on their posts.