Guides...and blogs
Design Registration Mark
Sunday 21st September 2014
Also known as the Diamond mark, this was in force between 1842 and 1883. It shows what the item was made from, how many were included in a bundle and the day, date and year. The date is the date of design registration, and products bearing the date could be made some time thereafter. The Rd in the centre stands for Registered. The mark was superseded in 1884 by the Registered Design Number
1842-67 (a number in right corner of diamond)
A= class
B= year
C=month
D= day
E= bundle
1868-83 (a letter in right corner of diamond)
A= class
B= day
C= bundle
D= year
E= month
Month:
A = December
B = October
C = January
D = September
E = May
G = February
H = April
I = July
K = November
M = June
R = August
W = March
Exceptions:
1857: R used 1-19 September
1860: K used in December
1878: G used in place of W 1-6 March
Year
1842-67:(number in right corner)
A =1845
B =1858
C =1844
D =1852
E =1855
F =1847
G =1863
H =1843
I =1846
J =1854
K =1857
L =1856
M =1859
N =1864
O =1862
P =1851
Q =1866
R =1861
S =1849
T =1867
U =1848
V =1850
W =1865
X =1842
Y =1853
Z =1860
1868-1883 (letter in right corner)
A =1871
C =1870
D =1878
E =1881
F =1873
H =1869
I =1872
J =1880
K =1883
L =1882
P =1877
S =1875
U =1874
V =1876
X =1868
Y =1879
Exception: 1878: 1-6 March, W used in place of D
Class
1 = metal
2 = wood
3 = glass
4 = ceramic
5 = wallpaper
6 = carpets
7 -13 = textiles
With grateful acknowledgement to the National Archives at Kew