Royal Copenhagen - Marks and Backstamps

The Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory was established May 1, 1775. From the beginning, each porcelain item was marked with three waves symbolizing Denmark’s three straits: the Sound and the Great and Little Belts.

For almost 100 years after the establishment of the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory in 1775, the three waves were painted by hand. But in around 1870, the company began stamping the mark under the glaze – a tradition that lives on today.

The mark of the three waves has changed over time making it possible to date any piece of Royal Copenhagen Porcelain. Some of the factory marks are shown above. These have been used on porcelain with a blue underglaze decoration, namely the Christmas Plates, figurines and blue porcelain dinner services – all of which are essential not only to the company’s product line, but also to the beauty and elegance of any home.

	Stamp in blue under the glaze, approximately 1870-1890
	Stamp in violet or red over the glaze 1887-1892
	Stamp in red or green over the glaze, used on request from USA for export goods in 1892
	Crown and DANMARK stamped in green under the glaze, blue wave mark, 1894-1900
	Crown and ROYAL COPENHAGEN stamp in green under the glaze, blue wave mark, 1889-approximately 1922
	Hand painted mark in blue under the glaze, used for Juliane Marie porcelain (originally on reproductions of 18th century models) since 1905
	Hand painted mark used for production in China, 1921
	Crown and DENMARK stamped in green under the glaze, blue wave mark, 1923
	Stamp used to mark unbreakable porcelain and non-gloss porcelain, 1929-1950
	Crown and ROYAL COPENHAGEN stamp in green under the glaze, blue wave mark, applied since 1923