How to Read Herend Marks and Backstamps

The three parts of a Herend mark

1. The trademark. The factory mark with the Herend name and the country. Many marks recorded from the 1930s onward add the words "hand painted." Some shoppers search for this wording as "Herend Hvngary hand painted"; compare the wording on your own piece with the dating table further down this page.
2. The shape number. The number under the trademark names the shape. Every dinner plate of the same shape carries the same number, whatever the pattern.
3. The decor code. Letters that name the decoration: the pattern on dinnerware, or the fishnet color on a figurine.

Decor codes: which letters mean which pattern

These codes come from the item numbers in our Herend catalog. The layout on a base can differ, so compare the letters and digits and ignore spacing and dashes.

To see current pieces in each pattern, browse Herend dinnerware at Paris Tableware.

Figurine color codes

On fishnet figurines, the letters name the color, and two-color pieces get codes of their own.

The Herend Owl Miniature Figurine shows how it works: in raspberry its item number reads VHP with model 05102, and in blue it reads VHB with the same model. Browse animals in our Herend figurine guide or see Herend figurines at Paris Tableware.

Shape numbers, and the digits after them

Each figurine has its own five-digit model number instead, such as 15093 for the Herend Owl Figurine. In the item numbers we carry, the digits after the shape number separate parts and variations. On a cup and saucer, 00734-1 is the saucer and 00734-2 is the cup. The final pair marks a variation: Rothschild Bird dinner plates run from -0-01 to -0-12, one for each of the pattern's twelve motifs. On some porcelain boxes, the final pair changes with the figure on the lid.

Dating older Herend marks

The table summarizes the Herend marks gallery at theoldstuff.com, a collector site. Read the dates as collector reports, not factory records.

Why the anniversary marks count from different years

According to Herend's history timeline, the 1939 centenary exhibition took 1839, the year Mór Fischer took over, as the founding year. Later research established 1826, when Vince Stingl founded the works, and the manufactory celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1976. So the 1939 and 1964 marks count from 1839, and the 1976 mark counts from 1826 (see our Herend history timeline). "Éves" is Hungarian for "years old."

Second-quality marks and the so-called student mark

The collector site theoldstuff.com says two cuts across a mark from 1948 onward mean second quality, and it pictures a "student mark" used on third-quality pieces painted by students. Treat this as a collector report, not a factory record.

Can a mark prove a piece is real?

A mark alone can't, because a backstamp can be copied. When you buy new Herend, the seller matters as much as the mark:

• Buy from an established retailer with a street address, a phone number and a written return policy.
• Be wary of a new piece offered far below its usual retail price.
• When it arrives, check that the decor code on the base matches the pattern or color you ordered.

Before you buy a piece secondhand:

• Ask for clear photos of the base as well as the front.
• Check that the decor code fits the pattern name. A Rothschild Bird piece should show RO, and Chinese Bouquet Green should show AV.
• Compare the shape number with a current piece of the same kind. A mismatch is worth a question.

These checks reduce risk but can't authenticate a piece.

Matching or replacing a piece

We sell new Herend and don't appraise or buy older pieces. To match a pattern or replace a broken piece, copy the decor code and shape number from the base and look for the same letters and digits in the item numbers at Paris Tableware. For a figurine, our care and replacement guide has the steps.