Research on Antiques & Collectibles

THE BRITISH REGISTRY DIAMOND and Rd NUMBERS: A Key to Dating 19thC British Ceramics

Contributed by:  www.Marks4Antiques.com

The British Registration Diamond was used in Britain between 1842 - 1883.  It was used for pretty much most Patents and Design registrations and each Category was assigned a Class symbol in the form of a Roman Numeral.  This was placed at the very top of the diamond.

The symbol/Roman Numeral for Ceramics was IV, so all British Registration diamonds that have the Roman Numeral IV on the top, were specifically registered to Ceramics makers and designers.  This includes Pottery, Porcelain, Bone China, Stoneware, Earthenware and China or Dinner Sets. 

This symbol changed somewhat in 1868 and although its basic appearance seems almost identical, the position of the Dating Ciphers around the tips were shifted.  Therefore, for items dating between 1842 and 1867, the bottom tip was always a number, called the Parcel.  However, from 1868 to 1883, this bottom tip was replaced by a Letter, which signified the Month of a certain year that this Registration was issued. 

Here are two tables that provide the key on reading the British Registration Diamond: 

Period 1842 - 1867

 

 

 

 

  Month:

Month letter

Month

 

Month letter

Month

A

December

 

H

April

B

October

 

I

July

C

January

 

K

November

D

September

 

M

June

E

May

 

R

August

G

February

 

W

March

  Year:

Year codes for 1842 - 1867

Year codes

 

Year codes

 

Year codes

A

1845

 

J

1854

 

S

1849

B

1858

 

K

1857

 

T

1867

C

1844

 

L

1856

 

U

1848

D

1852

 

M

1859

 

V

1850

E

1855

 

N

1864

 

W

1865

F

1847

 

O

1862

 

X

1842

G

1863

 

P

1851

 

Y

1853

H

1843

 

Q

1866

 

Z

1860

I

1846

 

R

1861

Exceptions:

  • In 1857 the letter R was used during 1-19 September

  • During 1860 the letter K was used for December

Period 1868 - 1883 

 

 

 

 

  Month:

Month letter Month   Month letter Month
A December   H April
B October   I July
C January   K November
D September   M June
E May   R August
G February   W March

 Year:

Year codes for 1868 - 1883

Year codes

 

Year codes

A

1871

 

L

1882

C

1870

 

P

1877

D

1878

 

S

1875

E

1881

 

U

1874

F

1873

 

V

1876

H

1869

 

X

1868

I

1872

 

Y

1879

J

1880

 

 

 

K

1883

 

 

 

        • Exception:
          From 1-6 March 1878, W was used for the year in place of D

        • G was used for the month in place of W

BRITISH REGISTRY NUMBERS

After 1883, some Potteries marked their Ceramics with a Patent Registration Number, commonly referred to as the "Rd Number". This Rd Number is when a Design Patent was applied for and usually coincides with the date this Design was made.  Note: The Rd Number stated for each Year is the starting number used that year and the next year's number is the starting number for the next year; in other words, if your number falls between two Year Numbers, yours is the older of these two years.

1884   1
1885   19756
1886   40480
1887   64520
1888   90483
1889   116648
1890   141273
1891   163767
1892   185713
1893   205240
1894   224720
1895   246975
1896   268392
1897   291241
1898   311658
1899   331707
1900   351202
1901   368154
1902   385180
1903   403200
1904   424400
1905   447800
1906   471860
1907   493900
1908   518640
1909   535170
1910   552000
1911   574817
1912   594195
1913   612431
1914   630190
1915   644935
1916   653521
1917   658988
1918   662872
1919   666128
1920   673750
1921   680147
1922   687144
1923   694999
1924   702671
1925   710165
1926   718057
1927   726330
1928   734370
1929   742725
1930     751160
1931
     760583
1932
     769670
1933
     779292
1934
     789019
1935
     799097
1936
     808794
1937
     817293
1938
     825231
1939
     832610
1940   837520
1941   838590
1942   839230
1943   839980
1944   841040
1945   842670
1946   845550
1947   849730
1948   853260
1949   856999
1950   860854
1951   863970
1952   866280
1953   869300
1954   872531
1955   876067
1956   879282
1957   882949
1958   887079
1959   891665
1960   895000
1961   899914
1962   904638
1963   909364
1964   914536
1965   919607