German Plate

Q: I think this plate belonged to my great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents. (I’m 70.) It’s marked “Germany” and the number “47.” Does it have any value? A: Plates with pictures of wild animals or gamebirds are called “game plates.” Your plate looks like it might have been part of a set of game plates. Sets usually […]

M D Mark

Q: Can you identify this mark with the initials “M” and “D” beneath a tree? I’d like to know who the maker is and the age of this tray. A: This mark was used by Max Dannhorn, a company founded in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1872. The tree mark was registered in 1895. The number on […]

KPM Butterfly Dish

Q: I got this butterfly serving dish with gold handle as a wedding gift in 1957. It came from an antiques store in my town. It’s marked with a straight line above “KPM.” I’ve never found an exact match. I’d like to know more about it. A: The initials “KPM” were used by several German […]

RS Prussia Chocolate Pot

Q: This chocolate set was a given to my mother by a family friend who was emptying the home of a deceased family member. It was never used after my mother received it in the 1940s. The pieces are marked “RS Prussia.” Does it have value, other than sentimental or decorative? Are there collectors? A: […]

Biscuit Jar

Q: I have a biscuit jar that has two marks on it, one that says “J & C, Louise, Bavaria,” and one with a crown over a circle. It says “High Art Semi-Hand-Painted” around the circle. The letters in the middle are faded. I’ve looked at all the crown marks on your website and can’t […]

Rare Meissen Smashes Record Prices

An incredible collection of rare 18th-century Meissen porcelain brought $15 million, seven times its pre-sale estimate, at a fall Sotheby’s auction in New York. The sale had more than 100 lots including boxes, canisters, tankards, figurines, dishes, coffeepots, tea ware, milk jugs, tureens, cane handles, clock cases, vases and scent bottles, most with Asian designs. […]

Arzberg Coffeepot

Q: I have a porcelain coffeepot that was my mother’s, so I know it’s at least 50 years old. There are two marks on the bottom. One is a circle with “Germany” and then another circle inside that. The other mark is a crown above a shield with the initials “P” and “A” in opposite […]

Royal Bonn Urn

Q: I’m looking to identify the attached mark. There are two initials and “1755” in a shield with a crown on top. A: This mark was used on porcelain made by Franz Anton Mehlem, who operated a pottery in Bonn, Germany, beginning in 1836. The mark includes his initials, “FAM,” conjoined and was used from […]