Identifying Age and Makers – The Basics

Quick Pointers for dating British pottery and porcelain:-

1) when a piece is clearly marked in English with its country of origin then it was almost certainly made after 1891. The word “England” on its own suggests that the piece was marked after the 1891 McKinley Tariff Act (a few pieces were marked in anticipation of trade restrictions – but almost all are post 1880)

2) Pieces marked with “Made in England” tend to indicate that they were made after the First World War.

3) “Registered Numbers” (Reg, Reg’d) appear in the mid to late 1880s.

4) “Trade Mark” and “Ltd” appear most commonly on china made after 1860

5) The word “Royal” on a piece suggests that it is likely to be Victorian, as does the diamond registration mark.

6) Royal Coats of Arms are occasionally late Georgian but, more commonly, Victorian.

So, what about the pieces with registration marks? Are you comfortable about reading these? If the piece is only marked with a squiggle or a crown – or only a few numbers – are you confident that you know the manufacturer?  We hope that our articles and the Marks we post will help.