English Registry Marks

The diamond-shaped English Registry mark, was used by the English patent office since 1842 to identify pieces of English pottery, porcelain, and other products. It is easy to tell when the ceramic was made. The mark has the Roman numerals “IV” at the top of the mark if it is for a ceramic. Between 1842 and 1883, the diamond-shaped mark was used. Marks registered from 1842 to 1867 have a letter at the top of the diamond. Marks registered from 1867 to 1883 have a number instead of a letter at the top of the diamond. After 1883, the diamond shape was discontinued and “Rd. No.,” followed by the number assigned to the ceramic, was used. Tables listed here tell how to decode the mark to learn the type of material, month, maker, and year of manufacture.

To obtain more detailed information, contact one of the following offices or visit their websites:

For pieces registered 1839-1991:	For pieces registered AFTER 1991:
The National Archives Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU, UKIntellectual property: registered designs 1839-1991 – The National Archives Email: NationalArchives.gov.uk	Intellectual Property Office Concept House Cardiff Road Newport South Wales NP10 8QQ, UK IPO.gov.uk Email: information@ipo.gov.uk

Both offices will research designs for a fee. Information is available on their websites.

Here are some notes to help date any piece that bears an English registry mark.

A diamond-shaped registry mark was used between 1842 and 1883. The information within the diamond changed after 1867.

Mark “A” represents the mark used between 1842 and 1867; mark “B” represents the mark between 1868 and 1883. After 1884, the diamond-shaped marks were replaced by the letters Rd. No. (for registered number)—and numbers indicating the year the piece was registered (see Mark “C).

In Mark “A,” the various letters and numbers indicate the following: the large “Rd” means “registered”; the Roman numeral in the circle at the top of the mark represents the type of material used to make a piece (see Table 1); the Roman numeral in the top inside section of the diamond represents the year the piece was registered (see Table 3); the Arabic numeral on the right-hand section represents the day of the month the piece was registered; the Arabic numeral in the section at the bottom represents the parcel number, which is a code indicating the person or company that registered the piece; and the letter in the left-hand section represents the month the piece was registered (see Table 2). In other words, Mark “A” appeared on a piece of ceramics registered on June 2, 1850.

In Mark “B,” the various letters and numbers reflect the following: the large “Rd” means “registered”; the Roman numeral in the circle at the top of the mark represents the type of material from which the piece was made (see Table 1); the Arabic numeral in the top inside section of the diamond represents the day of the month; the letter at the right-hand section represents the year the piece was registered (see Table 4); the letter in the bottom segment represents the month the piece was registered (see Table 2); and the Arabic numeral at the left-hand side represents the parcel number. In other words, this mark appeared on a piece of ceramics registered on July 7, 1873.

Table 1 Type of material or class I—metal III—glass II—wood IV—ceramics V— paper hangings VI—carpets VII – printed shawls VIII—other shawls IX—yarn X—printed fabrics XI—furnitures (printed fabric with repeat greater than 12 x 8) XII (i)—other fabrics XII (ii) – other fabrics (damasks) XIII – lace	Table 2 Month of the Year of Manufacture C—January I—July G—February R—August W—March D—September H—April B—October E—May K—November M—June A—December
Table 3 Year of Manufacture: 1842-1867 1842—X 1851—P 1860—Z 1843—H 1852—D 1861—R 1844—C 1853—Y 1862—O 1845—A 1854—J 1863—G 1846—I 1855—E 1864—N 1847—F 1856—L 1865—W 1848—U 1857—K 1866—Q 1849—S 1858—B 1867—T 1850—V 1859—M	Table 4 Year of Manufacture: 1868-1883 1868—X 1874—U 1879—Y 1869—H 1875—S 1880—J 1870—C 1876—V 1881—E 1871—A 1877—P 1882—L 1872—I 1878—D 1883—K 1873—F

 

After 1883, the diamond marks were discontinued and a simpler marking system, consisting of the letters “Rd No” followed by a number, was instituted. This mark appears on decorative art (china, glass, metal, or wood) manufactured in England since 1884.

Table 5: Design Registry Numbers—1884-2009 lists the English registry numbers by year. (For example, if a piece is marked with the number Rd. No. 821265, it was registered sometime in 1937.)

Table 5

Design Registry Numbers: 1884-2009
Jan.1884— 1	1926—718057	1969—939875
1885— 20000	1927—726330	1970—944932
1886— 40800	1928—734370	1971—950046
1887— 64700	1929—742725	1972—955342
1888— 91800	1930—751160	1973—960708
1889—117800	1931—760583	1974—965185
1890—142300	1932—769670	1975—969249
1891—164000	1933—779292	1976—973838
1892—186400	1934—789019	1977—978426
1893—206100	1935—799097	1978—982815
1894—225000	1936—808794	1979—987910
1895—248200	1937—817293	1980—993012
1896—268800	1938—825231	1981—998302
1897—291400	1939—832610	1982—1004456
Jan.1898—311677	1940—837520	1983—1010583
1899—332200	1941—838590	1984—1017131
1900—351600	1942—839230	1985—1024174
1901—368186	1943—839980	1986—1031358
1902—385180	1944—841040	1987—1039055
1903—403200	1945—842670	1988—1047478
1904—424400	Jan.1946—845550	1989—1056076
1905—447800	1947—849730	July 1989—1061406 (last no.)
1906—471860	1948—853260	Aug. 1989—2000000
1907—493900	1949—856999	1990—2003720
1908—518640	1950—860854	1991—2012047
1909—535170	1951—863970	1992—2019933
Sep.1909—548919	1952—866280	1993—2028110
Oct.1909—548920	1953—869300	1994—2036116
Jan.1911—575817	1954—872531	1995—2044229
1912—594195	1955—876067	1996—2053113
1913—612431	1956—879282	1997—2062102
1914—630190	1957—882949	1998—602537 *
1915—644935	1958—887079	1999—2080159
1916—653521	1959—891665	2000—2089189
1917—658988	1960—895000	2001—2098476
1918—662872	1961—899914	2002—3000396
1919—666128	1962—904638	2003—3009769
1920—673750	1963—909364	2004—3015712
1921—680147	1964—914536	2005—3019908
1922—687144	1965—919607	2006—3023508
1923—694999	1966—924510	2007—4000966 **
1924—702671	1967—929 335	2008—4005794
1925—710165	1968—934515	2009—4009885

Based on information supplied by the United Kingdom’s Intellectual Property Office.
* Textile designs had a separate Number sequence until 2001; this number was probably a textile design.
** 4-million sequence started in Oct. 2006 following new legislation.

Updated January 10, 2022