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British Registration Marks & Numbers:

Introduction

The British registration mark is a diamond-shaped mark which was mostly included in the mold of an item, however it can also be found as stamped version on some item bases. As the name implies a 'registration mark' only states when a specific piece or design was registered, it does not indicate the production date of the item. While the majority of registered designs were indeed taken out by English manufacturers some were registered by foreign companies or their agents and so one must not presume that all objects bearing this device are automatically of English manufacture. Which of course explains why this page is included on a website featuring German and related marks: a few German manufacturers did register designs in England and so one can stumble across the one or other German item with such a registration mark.

Reading such a mark is simple: the type of material was stated by a roman numeral class number in the top circle representing 1 for metal, 2 for wood, 3 for glass and 4 for ceramics. In the four corners of the diamond you will find four different numbers or letters. In the pictures shown here, the place holders used are P for parcel number or manufacturer, Y for the year, M for the month and D for the day of registration.

Mark used between 1841 and 1867, here with the place holders 'Y', 'D', 'P' and 'M' shown clockwise from the top.
Version used between 1841 and 1867.
Mark used between 1868 and 1883, here with the place holders 'D', 'Y', 'M' and 'P' shown clockwise from the top.
Version used between 1868 and 1883.


Registration Mark Keys

As can be seen in the previous two pictures, the newer version shows the fields P and M as well as D and Y exchanged against each other. Here is a table showing the known year codes; the code letters for the month were the same in both periods:

Table A: List Of Known Year Codes
Month:Year codes (1841 - 1867):Year codes (1868 - 1883):
MonthYear codes (1841 - 1867)Year codes (1868 - 1883)
A= DecemberA1845A1871
B= OctoberB1858C1870
C= JanuaryC1844D1878
D= SeptemberD1852E1881
E= MayE1855F1873
G= FebruaryF1847H1869
H= AprilG1863I1872
I= JulyH1843J1880
K= NovemberI1846K1883
M= JuneJ1854L1882
R= AugustK1857P1877
W= MarchL1856S1875
  M1859U1874
  N1864V1876
  O1862X1868
  P1851Y1879
  Q1866  
  R1861  
  S1849  
  T1867  
  U1848  
  V1850  
  W1865  
  X1842  
  Y1853  
  Z1860  

 

The Numbering System

Starting in January 1884 this system was replaced by an easier one that consisted merely of registration numbers prefixed with 'Rd' or 'Rd №.'. The following list of numbers is a pretty good reference, the number shown was the first number issued in January of a given year.

Table B: List Of Known Registration Numbers
First number:Issued in:
First numberIssued in
№ 1January 1884
№ 19754January 1885
№ 40480January 1886
№ 64520January 1887
№ 90483January 1888
№ 116648January 1889
№ 141273January 1890
№ 163767January 1891
№ 185713January 1892
№ 205240January 1893
№ 224720January 1894
№ 246975January 1895
№ 268392January 1896
№ 291241January 1897
№ 311658January 1898
№ 331707January 1899
№ 351202January 1900
№ 368154January 1901
№ 385180January 1902
№ 403200January 1903
№ 424400January 1904
№ 447800January 1905
№ 471860January 1906
№ 493900January 1907
№ 518640January 1908
№ 535170January 1909
№ 552000January 1910
№ 574817January 1911
№ 594195January 1912
№ 612431January 1913
№ 630190January 1914
№ 644935January 1915
№ 653521January 1916
№ 658988January 1917
№ 662872January 1918
№ 666128January 1919
№ 673750January 1920
№ 680147January 1921
№ 687144January 1922
№ 694999January 1923
№ 702671January 1924
№ 710165January 1925
№ 718057January 1926
№ 726330January 1927
№ 734370January 1928
№ 742725January 1929
№ 751160January 1930
№ 760583January 1931
№ 769670January 1932
№ 779292January 1933
№ 789019January 1934
№ 799097January 1935
№ 808794January 1936
№ 817293January 1937
№ 825231January 1938
№ 832610January 1939
№ 837520January 1940
№ 838590January 1941
№ 839230January 1942
№ 839980January 1943
№ 841040January 1944
№ 842670January 1945
№ 845550January 1946
№ 849730January 1947
№ 853260January 1948
№ 856999January 1949
№ 860854January 1950
№ 863970January 1951
№ 866280January 1952
№ 869300January 1953
№ 872531January 1954
№ 876067January 1955
№ 879282January 1956
№ 882949January 1957
№ 887079January 1958
№ 891665January 1959
№ 895000January 1960
№ 899914January 1961
№ 904638January 1962
№ 909364January 1963
№ 914536January 1964
№ 919607January 1965
- - -- - -
№ 944932January 1970
№ 993012January 1980
№ 2003720January 1990
 

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