Dating English Registry Marks

Starting in 1842, England has offered registration of it's decorative designs for pottery, china, wood, paper, pottery, china, porcelain, glass and more.  By using the information below you can find the date a design was registered. Not every piece registered was marked.  Remember this date is just when the design was registered.  An item with a registry mark or number could have been produced before (less likely as the design would not be protected), or after the date of the registry mark.

The following two diamond shaped marks were used from 1842-1883:

Mark I: Used from 1842-1867

Each letter on the diagram represents one of the tables below:

A. - Materials I Metal II Wood III Glass IV Ceramics V Paper Hangings VI Carpets VII Printed Shawls VIII Other Shawls IX Yarn X Printed Fabrics XI Furniture XII i Other Fabrics XII ii Damasks XIII Lace

B. - Year A 1845 O 1862 B 1858 P 1851 C 1844 Q 1866 D 1852 R 1861 E 1855 S 1849 F 1847 T 1867 G 1853 U 1848 H 1843 VEE 1850 I 1846 W 1865 J 1854 X 1842 K 1857 Y 1853 L 1856 Z 1860 M 1859     N 1864

C. -Month A December B October C January D September E May G February H April I July K November M June R August W March

D.-Day of the Month

E.-Bundle Number

Exceptions:

In 1857 the letter R was used during 1-19 of September, during 1860 the letter K was used for December.

To give an example using the mark above the chart, you get the following information: Material-Ceramics, Design registered-April 7, 1857.

The Bundle number is unimportant to most collectors.

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Mark II: Used from 1868-1883

Each letter on the diagram represents one of the tables below:

A. - Materials I Metal II Wood III Glass IV Ceramics V Paper Hangings VI Carpets VII Printed Shawls VIII Other Shawls IX Yarn X Printed Fabrics XI Furniture XII i Other Fabrics XII ii Damasks XIII Lace

B. - Year A 1871 X 1868 C 1870 Y 1879 D 1878     E 1881     F 1873     H 1869     I 1872     J 1880     K 1883     L 1882     P 1877     S 1875     U 1874     VEE 1876

C. -Month A December B October C January D September E May G February H April I July K November M June R August W March

D.-Day of the Month

E.-Bundle Number

Exceptions:

1st-6th of March 1878, W was used for the year instead of D, and G was used for the month in place of W.

To give an example using the mark above the chart, you get the following information: Material-Ceramics, Design registered-August 9, 1870.

The Bundle number is unimportant to most collectors.

English Registry Numbers:

After 1883 a Numerical mark was used in the following form:

Rd 742833 or Rd No. 742833

Year	Number	Year	Number	Year	Number
1884	1	1922	687144	1960	895000
1885	19754	1923	694999	1961	899914
1886	40480	1924	702671	1962	904638
1887	64520	1925	710165	1963	909364
1888	90483	1926	718057	1964	914536
1889	116648	1927	726330	1965	919607
1890	141273	1928	734370	1966	924510
1891	163767	1929	742725	1967	929335
1892	185713	1930	751160	1968	934515
1893	205240	1931	760583	1969	939875
1894	224720	1932	769670	1970	944932
1895	246975	1933	779292	1971	950046
1896	268392	1934	789019	1972	955342
1897	291241	1935	799097	1973	960708
1898	311658	1936	808794	1974	965185
1899	331707	1937	817293	1975	969249
1900	351202	1938	825231	1976	973838
1901	368154	1939	832610	1977	978426
1902	385180	1940	837520	1978	982815
1903	403200	1941	838500	1979	987910
1904	424400	1942	839230	1980	993012
1905	447800	1943	839980	1981	998302
1906	471860	1944	841040	1982	1004456
1907	493900	1945	842670	1983	1010583
1908	518640	1946	845550	1984	1017131
1909	535170	1947	849730	1985	1024174
1910	552000	1948	853260	1986	1031358
1911	574817	1949	856999	1987	1039055
1912	594195	1950	860854	1988	1047478
1913	612431	1951	863970	1989	1056076
1914	630190	1952	866280	July 1989	1061406 (last No.)
1915	644935	1953	869300	Aug 1989	2000000
1916	653521	1954	872531	1990	2003720
1917	658988	1955	876067	1991	2012047
1918	662872	1956	879282	1992	2019933
1919	666128	1957	882949	1993	2028110
1920	673750	1958	887079	1994	2036116
1921	680147	1959	891665	1995	2044229

 The number listed for each year in the table is the first number issued that year. . If your number is higher, but less than the number for the next year, then your item had it's design registered during that year.

In July 1990 the numbering sequence changed as indicated on the chart. The last number issued in July 1990 was 1061406 and began again In August starting with number 2000000.

To give an example using the number above the chart, Rd 742833 means: Design of your item was registered during 1929.

The Public Record office and the British Government tend to enforce these marks and registration numbers. Companies located outside the UK who have reproduced items, and tried to use a facsimile of the marks or numbering system have been sued, and have had sanctions imposed against them. This tends to protect the use of these marks, and in general restricts them to use on pieces made in the UK. This protects both collectors and the companies who registered the marks.

The information for this page was compiled with the assistance of the British Public Record Office, and the British Designs Registry Office. © Crown Copyright 1998. Their help, and permission to use the data, is certainly appreciated.

For more information you can write either of the following addresses, depending on the year your mark was registered:

Registered after and in 1909:

Designs Registry
Patent Office
Chancery Lane
London WC2A
1 LR England

Registered before 1909:

Public Record Office
Ruskin Avenue
Kew, Richmond
Surrey,England

Or you can e-mail the English Public Records Office at:

enquiries@pro.gov.uk

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