PM&M / Resources :

British Registration Marks

British registration marks come in three different flavours, two older diamond-shaped designs and a newer and much simpler registration number; all three versions can be found either included into the mold of an item or simply stamped onto the item itself. As the name implies, a 'registration mark' only states when a specific piece or design was registered and 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. Hence one should not simply assume that all objects bearing this device are automatically of English manufacture, in fact that actually explains why this page is included on a website featuring German and related marks: some German manufacturers indeed registered designs in England, thus one may sooner or later stumble across the one or other German item with such a registration mark.

Diamond-Shaped Marks

As mentioned before, there are two versions of the diamond-shaped mark. If you are looking at one, simply check out the bottom part of the mark: a type 1 mark (1841 to 1867) shows a number there while a type 2 mark (1868 to 1883) features a letter. After having identified the mark type itself, reading the rest is simple.

The type of material was stated by a roman numeral class number in the top circle (I for metal, II for wood, III for glass and IV for all kinds of ceramics). In the four corners of the diamond itself you will find four different numbers or letters. In the pictures shown here, the placeholders used are P for package number, Y for the year, M for the month and D for the day of registration. In direct comparison one can easily recognize that the fields P and M as well as D and Y were exchanged in the newer (type 2) version.


British Registration diamond used 1841 to 1867 (with placeholders 'Y-D-P-M' clockwise from the top)
Type 1 (1841 - 1867)
Used 1841 to 1867, placeholders 'Y-D-P-M' clockwise from the top.
British Registration diamond used 1868 to 1883 (with placeholders 'D-Y-M-P' clockwise from the top)
Type 2 (1868 - 1883)
Used 1868 to 1883, placeholders 'D-Y-M-P' clockwise from the top.

The placeholder P (package number) is sometimes also referred to as 'bundle number' or 'manufacturer number', the latter being not quite correct. One has to know a little about the methods of filing and storing documents at the registration office during that time to understand the true meaning of this code: all registrations of one day were filed in one 'package' or 'bundle', meaning that they were wrapped and stored together while the contents (each registration and registrar from the package) was written down in the filing ledger. In some (rare) cases all registrations from a certain day were filed by one specific manufacturer only, this however does not mean that a certain number code keys to the name of a certain registrar. With other words: this part of the registration information is irrelevant for collectors or people simply wanting to find out more about their item as it is merely a filing reference.

Diamond-Shape Mark Codes

Here is a table that shows the known month and year codes; take note that the month code letters were identical in both mark type periods. Also make sure to check the two exception warnings placed below which should at least show that the system was not foolproof.

Table A:
List Of Month & Year Codes
Month Code (same for both types)Year codes (1841 - 1867)Year codes (1868 - 1883)
MonthYear codes (1841 - 1867)Year codes (1868 - 1883)
ADecemberA1845A1871
BOctoberB1858C1870
CJanuaryC1844D1878
DSeptemberD1852E1881
EMayE1855F1873
GFebruaryF1847H1869
HAprilG1863I1872
IJulyH1843J1880
KNovemberI1846K1883
MJuneJ1854L1882
RAugustK1857P1877
WMarchL1856S1875
  M1859U1874
  N1864V1876
  O1862X1868
  P1851Y1879
  Q1866  
  R1861  
  S1849  
  T1867  
  U1848  
  V1850  
  W1865  
  X1842  
  Y1853  
  Z1860  

Exceptions (1841-1867): In the year 1857 the letter 'R' was used between 1st and 19th of September, during 1860 the letter 'K' was used between 3rd and 31st of December. In both cases the clerks simply forgot to change the letters.

Exceptions (1868-1883): Between the 1st and 6th of March 1878 the letter 'W' was used for the year instead of 'D' and 'G' was used for the month in place of 'W' as the clerks had confused the respective year/month codes.

Numerical Marks

From January 1st 1884 onwards, registrations were represented by a much easier marking type that consisted merely of the actual registration number, 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 Registration Numbers
First numberIssued 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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