Marks on KPM Porcelain

Authentic KPM Mark

KPM made their mark very simple; 99% of the time the mark is just KPM used in combination with other numbers, letters, and symbols.  The most frequently encountered mark is KPM impressed into the porcelain with a vertical line above the mark.  That vertical line is supposed to be a royal scepter.  However, not everyone recognizes it as a scepter; some people interpret the mark as a narrow cross or a sword with a hilt.  Just like anything else out there, KPM marks are easily faked, and sometimes convincingly.  Analyzing a mark should just be part of the process when try to determine if a plaque is authentic.  We have other information about fake KPM marks.  Needless to say, just approach every plaque or other object with a critical and skeptical eye.

Other Marks on Plaque

Some of the most puzzling things about KPM marks are the letters and numbers that can also be marked on the back of the plaque.  The simple truth is that no one knows definitively what these letters and numbers mean.  However, authors and researchers have come up with some theories.  The numbers usually represent the batch of porcelain the plaque is from and some other numbers could represent serial numbers.  The letters are much more of a mystery, with some exceptions.  A capital H is usually only found on the back of KPM plaques painted after old master paintings.  If an H mark is present then no other characters are usually found.  A lowercase h mark was most often found on rectangular KPM plaques.  The number 5 was used mostly for large and medium oval plaques.  The number 3 was used for smaller oval plaques.  Round KPM plaques were often marked with the number 2.

We have included a handful of authentic KPM marks below.  As you can see, there isn’t a single standard authentic mark.  If you have questions about the marks on your KPM plaque or other porcelain, then just contact us.  We would be happy to share our opinion free of charge.

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