Antique identification guides
Free guides to identifying antiques: pottery and porcelain marks, silver hallmarks, vintage glass, furniture, art and collectibles, and how to find out what an antique is worth.
Every guide sticks to evidence you can check on the object itself: marks, construction, materials and the documented history of makers and assay offices, with sources listed on each page. Where a price appears, it is tied to a dated, public auction result; otherwise we explain what drives value.
Pottery and porcelain marks
How to read and date pottery and porcelain marks: Meissen, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Noritake, Limoges, Fiesta and more, with what each mark can and cannot tell you.
- How to identify pottery marks and date a piece from its backstampHow to identify pottery marks: impressed vs printed vs painted marks, under or over the glaze, country names after 1891, British registration diamonds and Rd numbers.
- Meissen marks: dating the crossed swords and spotting imitationsMeissen marks explained: how the blue crossed swords changed by period, the AR monogram, grinding cuts on seconds, and how to spot Samson and other imitations.
- Wedgwood marks: how to read the impressed name and date codesHow to date Wedgwood marks: impressed WEDGWOOD, Wedgwood & Bentley, three-letter date codes from 1860, ENGLAND from 1891, MADE IN ENGLAND and the Wedgewood imitation.
- Royal Doulton marks: how to identify and date DoultonHow to read Royal Doulton marks: Doulton Lambeth and Burslem marks, the Royal title from 1901, the lion and crown backstamp, HN figure numbers and Rd numbers.
- Noritake marks: dating Nippon, Japan and Occupied Japan backstampsHow to date Noritake and Nippon porcelain marks: Morimura and Nippon Toki history, Nippon 1891–1921, Made in Japan, Occupied Japan 1947–1952 and fake Nippon backstamps.
- Limoges marks: how to tell who made and who decorated your porcelainHow to read Limoges porcelain marks: Limoges is a place, not a maker. Factory marks under the glaze vs decorator marks over it, Haviland, France and Déposé.
Silver hallmarks and metal marks
British assay office marks and date letters, sterling versus silver plate, continental silver standards and gold karat stamps explained.
- British silver hallmarks: how to read the marks on your silverHow to read British silver hallmarks: the sponsor's mark, lion passant and 925, assay office marks from London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh, and old marks.
- Hallmark date letters: how to date British silver step by stepHow hallmark date letters work and how to read them: letter, case, typeface and shield shape, the assay year, the 1975 and 1999 changes, and checks that confirm the year.
- Sterling silver vs silver plate: how to tell them apartHow to tell sterling silver from silver plate: what 925, STERLING, EPNS, EP and Sheffield plate marks mean, US and UK legal rules, wear clues and safe tests.
- Gold jewelry marks: what 14K, 585, 750, GF and HGE meanWhat the stamps inside gold jewelry mean: karat and millesimal marks (10K, 14K, 585, 750), gold filled, rolled gold plate, HGE and vermeil, plus UK hallmarks.
Vintage glass guides
How to identify Depression glass, carnival glass, Fenton, vintage Pyrex and uranium glass, and how to spot reproductions.
- Depression glass identification: makers, patterns and reproductionsHow to identify Depression glass: what it is, the seven main makers, colors and mold-etched patterns, signs of machine pressing, and how to spot later reproductions.
- Carnival glass identification: makers, colors, marks and reproductionsIdentify carnival glass: the five classic American makers, why base glass color sets the name, Northwood, Imperial and Fenton marks, and how to spot reissues and fakes.
- Vintage Pyrex patterns: how to identify and date opal wareHow to identify vintage Pyrex: opal ware patterns with museum dates, reading the molded backstamp and item numbers, PYREX versus pyrex, and how to use old pieces safely.
- Uranium glass: how to identify it, what it is, and whether it is safeHow to identify uranium glass with a UV light, how Vaseline, custard and jadeite differ, when it was made, and what radiation agencies say about its safety.
- Fenton glass marks: the oval logo, decade numbers and labelsHow to read Fenton glass marks: the molded oval logo from 1970, decade digits 8, 9, 0 and 1, the script F, seconds marks, paper labels and how to date unmarked Fenton.
Furniture, art and collectibles
How to date antique furniture, tell an original painting from a print, identify Griswold cast iron, Hummel figurines and jade, and find what an antique is worth.
- How to find the value of an antique: a step-by-step methodHow to find what an antique is worth: identify it, check condition, compare sold prices (not asking prices), pick the right kind of value, and when to hire an appraiser.
- How to date antique furniture: joinery, saw marks, screws and nailsHow to date antique furniture from its construction: hand-cut vs machine dovetails, Knapp joints, saw and plane marks, screws and nails, shrinkage and wear.
- Is it an original painting or a print? How to tellHow to tell an original painting from a print: magnify for dots, check brushstroke relief, plate marks, signatures, edition numbers, the canvas back and the edges.
- How to tell if jade is real: jadeite, nephrite and common imitationsHow to tell real jade from imitations: jadeite vs nephrite, serpentine, aventurine, dyed calcite and glass look-alikes, treated B jade, and which tests are safe.
- Griswold cast iron: logo eras, numbers and how to spot fakesIdentify and date Griswold cast iron: Erie, slant, large and small block logos, size versus pattern numbers, heat rings, Wagner-era pieces, recasts and condition.
- Hummel marks: how to date M.I. Hummel figurines by trademarkDate M.I. Hummel figurines by trademark: crown, full bee, stylized bee, three line, last bee, missing bee and later marks, plus model numbers and look-alikes.
Ratgeber Antiquitäten
Porzellanmarken bestimmen und Silberstempel lesen: Meissen, KPM, Nymphenburg, 800er und 925er Silber, Halbmond und Krone.
- Antiquitäten Wert ermitteln: so gehen Sie vorDen Wert von Antiquitäten ermitteln: Objekt bestimmen, Zustand prüfen, erzielte Preise statt Angebotspreise vergleichen, die richtige Wertart wählen, Gutachter finden.
- Porzellanmarken bestimmen: Bodenmarken lesen, Hersteller erkennenPorzellanmarken bestimmen: so lesen Sie Bodenmarken, erkennen Meissen, KPM, Nymphenburg, Fürstenberg, Rosenthal und Co. und deuten Schleifstriche und Made in Germany.
- Meissen Marken: Schwerter datieren und echtes Meissener Porzellan erkennenMeissen Marken erkennen: Schwertermarke nach Zeitraum (Punkt, Stern, Knaufschwerter), AR-Marke, Schleifstriche und wie Sie Meissen Porzellan von Kopien unterscheiden.
- Silberstempel erkennen: 800, 835, 925, Halbmond und KroneSilberstempel lesen: was 800, 835 und 925 bedeuten, Halbmond und Krone seit 1888, Stadt- und Meistermarken und die Zahlen 90 oder 100 auf versilbertem Besteck.
Guides antiquités
Lire les poinçons de l'argent (Minerve, crabe, charançon) et identifier les marques de porcelaine de Limoges.
- Marques de porcelaine de Limoges : lire le tampon du fabricant et celui du décorateurMarques de porcelaine de Limoges : tampon vert du fabricant sous couverte, marque du décorateur sur couverte, Haviland, mentions France et Déposé, contrefaçons.
- Poinçons de l'argent : comment lire la Minerve, le crabe et le losangeLire les poinçons de l'argenterie française : tête de Minerve (1er et 2e titre), crabe et sanglier, poinçon de maître en losange, métal argenté au poinçon carré.
About valuesEstimates are not appraisals. Prices depend on maker, age, condition, rarity, provenance and the market at the time of sale, and neither an app scan nor a guide can replace an expert who handles the object. For anything that may be valuable, or before you sell, insure or buy at a high price, consult a qualified appraiser or a reputable auction house.
Identify your antique in seconds
Antique ID identifies an item from a photo, reads visible maker's marks, suggests a period and gives an estimated value range, so you know whether it deserves a closer look.
