Maker’s marks on pottery, stoneware, costume jewelry and silver
Turn it over. Type what you see.
Put in the letters, words or symbols on the bottom of a plate, the side of a crock, the back of a brooch or the stem of a spoon. We’ll show the makers who used that mark and the years they used it, with the sources for every date.
Partial words are fine. Can’t read it? Pick a symbol or shape instead.
Browse by what you’re holding
All makers A–Z →
Pottery & Porcelain
Backstamps and impressed marks on art pottery, dinnerware and porcelain figurines.
6 makers
Stoneware
Stamped, stenciled and impressed marks on crocks, jugs and churns.
4 makers
Costume Jewelry
Signatures on the backs of brooches, clasps and earring clips, and what the © tells you.
4 makers
Silver
Sterling, coin silver and plate: maker’s marks, hallmarks and purity numbers.
0 makersReading a mark, step by step
Find it
Look underneath, inside the lid, on the clasp or on the back of the stem. Tilt the piece under a light so impressed marks cast a shadow.
Copy it exactly
Write down every letter, number and symbol, even the ones you’re unsure of. Note how it was made: pressed in, stamped in ink, printed or cast.
Match it
Search the Finder with what you can read, then filter by symbol or shape. Compare every detail against the transcription and the dates.
Check the clues
Country names, the ©, “Made in”, registration and patent numbers all narrow the date. Our guides explain each one.
Every date has a source
Each maker entry is built from museum collections, collectors’ society references, company histories and auction records. Sources are listed at the bottom of every entry, and where they disagree we say so and show both. We don’t publish values, and we don’t guess.