Fake & Repro Marks:
General Information
The following list gives you an overview of commonly misrepresented, impersonated and made up marks as well as markings found on reproductions or recently made import pieces. All items bearing one of the marks shown here are more or less worthless from the historic point of view. Manufacturer or distributor names (as far as they are known) are shown in bold writing and are linked to a sub-page showing a few notes and additional marks. Please keep in mind that the manufacturer of such pieces can't be really considered crooked as the actual fraudster is the seller that is trying to cheat you into believing some bogus story.
This list is an attempt to categorize marks by their appearance as a manufacturer-based sort is worthless due to the many unknown companies or known companies using different variations. Many original companies used similar marks like the originally Meissen 'crossed swords' or variations of the former Ludwigsburg 'L', so actually saying that a specific mark for example is a pure Meissen 'copy' would not always be correct.
Especially on eBay you'll find many fakes nicely wrapped in stupid stories made up by scammers to support claims made in the auction description. Due to the market development however, more and more 'normal' sellers degrade themselves by using dirty tricks to increase their presence in searches via keyword spamming.
You can either scroll through all the marks or select one of the following links that will take you to the row containing the first mark of that class:
- Pure Initials Or Writing
- Anchors
- Bindenschild (incorrectly named 'Beehive')
- Eagles And Other Birds
- Lions, Griffons, Unicorns
- Crossed Arrows
- Crossed Swords
- Crossed Items Over Initials Or Writing
- Crowns Over Initials Or Writing
- Crowns Over Shields
- Wreaths
- R.S. Prussia
- Various Other Marks
Even if it all appears a bit rough at the moment, it will straighten out when I add more marks and manufacturer info over time; comments and additions are welcome!
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
Initials 'AB' imitating the Meissen 'August Rex' or early Weiden 'August Bauscher' mark, here with an additional number '110' in gold.
Another example with the additional number '183'. Perhaps they are numbering their fake items? Just kidding ;-)
Another example with the additional number '490'. Note that the mark style is very similar to the 'R.B.' mark found later in this list.
Made in CHINA (shown on stickers), reproductions from the 1970s, note the spelling 'BRANDENB-E-RG'.
Made in JAPAN (shown on stickers), reproductions from the 1970s, note the spelling 'BRANDENB-U-RG'.
Another version of the 'BRANDENB-U-RG' mark.
(Picture by Lisa London)
Found on some cheap items; neither German or even from Dresden.
Arnart:
Made in Japan, impersonation of a mark often referred to as 'beehive' mark (actually a shield form named 'Bindenschild').
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
Completely made-up and badly drawn mark, blue underglaze.
Cheap imitation of a mark type originally used by many German manufacturers.
(Picture by eBay user ketchesketchken)
Fantasy mark on a huge vase/urn contraption, mark recently popping up on eBay.
Very modern mark, 'W' over 'BAVARIA'.
Made-up and badly drawn mark, note the 'VICWNA' which was supposed to read 'VIENNA' ...
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
... and here the additional mark, 'OEOETZUCH OESCNUTZT' which was actually supposed to read 'GESETZLICH GESCHÜTZT'.
Found on many cheap figures claimed to be French, Italian, German ... but made in China.
Wales China:
Made in Japan, here just the crossed swords. Exactly the same mark can also be found as inmold (raised) version.
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
Made in Japan or Taiwan, letter 'A' above crossed swords over 'BLUE ONION'.
Repro junk 'Crossed Swords'. There are really people out there that believe this is an original Meissen mark!
Mark found on some otherwise nicely made figures.
Another version of that mark.
Imitation of a mark originally used by the porcelain decoration studio August Schmidt (Ilmenau, Thuringia) who of course used other letters.
Lefton:
Fantasy mark in blue underglaze, the double-slashed-'L' is also found under a crown (see that section).
Fantasy mark, crossed swords over a Rauenstein-'R' with other elements.
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
Fake mark similar to some 'Greiner' (Rauenstein, Thuringia) marks.
(Picture by eBay user losttinchen)
Same subject as before, only here showing the 'decorator mark' 1/1078 which is present on most pieces.
Crowned 'A', claimed to have been used by a Taiwanese import/retail company from 1975 onwards.
Mark found on a badly made figurine series.
Similar to the Keilhauer or Klette marks; this could be Höffner (Sandizell).
Made-up mark, hand-drawn crown. Note the 'MADE IN AUSTRIA' is similar to the addition shown with the 'VICWNA' mark shown above.
Another view of the same base: it shows a second grey underglaze mark, just like with the 'Ludwigsburg' fake below.
Interlocking 'FD' over a wrongly written 'handarbeit' (should be with capital 'H').
Real Bavarian origin questionable, recently produced items popping up on eBay now.
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
Another fake found on pill boxes; mark impersonates the 'Porzellanmanufaktur Plaue' PMP mark.
Arnart:
Made in Japan, impersonation of some stylized crown 'K.P.M.' mark.
(Picture by eBay user joflora)
Neundorf:
The German import company now uses this shameless copy of an old Ludwig Wessel mark as their newest company logo.
Lefton:
Fantasy mark in gold overglaze, similar to one used originally by 'Oscar Schlegelmilch' from Langewiesen (Thuringia).
Impersonation of a 'Ludwigsburg' mark, gold overglaze (also note next picture!).
Mark on the same piece, but underglaze (probably to 'convince' potential buyers).
Very similar, often found on 'old' items.
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
Impersonation of a 'Ludwigsburg' mark which actually nearly looks like it was made with a felt-tip pen.
Impersonation of a 'Ludwigsburg' mark, of course this one is far too modern to be real.
Badly drawn crown over the letter 'Z'.
Made-up mark that strongly reminds one of a mark formerly used by the 'Porzellanwerk Kahla' (Kahla, Thuringia).
Fantasy mark in blue underglaze.
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
Imitation of the 'Oscar Schaller' (later 'Gebr. Winterling') wreath mark.
Faked R.S. Prussia mark, it was never used in this color.
(Picture by eBay user kwikblu)
Faked R.S. Prussia mark (badly made).
(Picture by eBay user kwikblu)
Faked R.S. Prussia mark, looks more like a P.R.O.C. emblem.
(Picture by eBay user kwikblu)
Faked R.S. Prussia mark.
(Picture by eBay user kwikblu)
Faked R.S. Prussia mark, combination of four different styles - ouch!.
(Picture by eBay user kwikblu)
Faked R.S. Prussia mark, no text additions and partially incomplete.
Made-up mark imitating either late Vincennes or early Sevres.
Fake & Repro Marks:
Marks
'JBT' over 'ANNO 1906', found on items that normally showed the WL1895 mark.
(Picture by Gerard Tschaeppaet)
Made-up mark, seems like an Alpine scene over 'DEKOR BAVAR'. There is no letter missing as can be seen when one looks at the alignment.
Often stated to be all kinds of things from Meissen to Sevres. This version makes it clear as the underglaze 'JAPAN' could not be removed like any other sticker.
Made-up mark, a combo of the 'Kahla' and 'Torgau' marks.
Made-up mark, a combo of the 'Kahla' and 'Torgau' marks (sorry for the reflections).
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