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Beatrix Potter Backstamps

 






Beswick and Royal Albert Backstamps
 
The Beswick and Royal Albert Backstamps used on Beatrix Potter Figures have changed many times since 1948 and they can be useful to aid in dating a particular piece.   The figures did not retain their original mark but as backstamps changed all figures in current production  were marked with the new backstamp.   Broadly speaking there are three styles of backstamp Beswick Gold, Beswick Brown and Royal Albert.   However the backstamps are a little more complex than this. 
 
Here is a brief explanation of the different
Beswick and Royal Albert Backstamps:
 
Beswick Gold
 
BP1a      Beswick Gold Circle  'Beswick' and 'England'
                    written in a Circle - 'BEATRIX POTTER'
                    written in upper case - Character Name
                    written in Italics - The word 'copywright'
                    may or may not appear. 
                    Issued 1948-1954
 
BP1b      Beswick Gold Parallel Lines  'Beswick' and
                    'England' written in parallel lines - the word
                    'Copyright' is in script - designed to fit on
                    to the base of 'The Tailor of Gloucester' 
                    but in fact used in error on seven other
                    figures.
                    Issued 1949-1954
 
BP2a      Beswick Gold Oval  - The words 'Beswick'
                    and 'England' written in an Oval shape -
                    Issued 1955 - 1972

               It appeared in different forms:
                (1)  Beatrix Potter in upper case type.
                      character's name in Italic
                      script, sometimes within quotation
                      marks.   Can occur with 'copyright' in italic
                      script.
                (2)  Beatrix Potter in upper case type.
                      Character's name in upper
                      case type within quotation marks.
                (3)  Beatrix Potter and Character's name in
                      handwritten style script.
                (4)  Beatrix Potter in upper case type,
                      Character's name in Script
                      From 1961.
                (5)  Bearix Potter in upper case type,
                      Character's name in lower
                      case type.  Can occur with Beatrix Potter
                      in slanted type - 
                      From 1971.
                (6)  Beatrix Potter in upper case type,
                      Character's name in upper
                      case type.  From 1971 - 1972
 
BP2b      Transitional Gold/Brown - 'Beatrix Potter'
                    and the Character's name appear in gold
                    and the last 3 lines - (i.e. F. Warne and 
                    Co. Ltd: Copyright (date): BESWICK
                    ENGLAND:) appear in brown.  These
                    were on a very limited number of figures
                    Issued 1971 - 1972      
 
Beswick Brown
 
BP3       Beswick Brown Line - The words 'Beswick'
                   and 'England' appear in brown either in a
                   straight line or with 'Beswick' atop 'England' 
                   depending on the shape and size of the
                   base.  
                   Issued 1973 - 1988 
               
              BP3a         line 1 - BEATRIX POTTER'S with
                                            apostrophe S
                               line 2 - Character Name within
                                            quotations
                               line 3 - F Warne & Co. Ltd.  
                               line 4 - Copyright with no date
                               line 5 - BESWICK ENGLAND
                               Issued 1973 - 1974
 
              BP3b        The same as BP3a apart from:
                               line 4 - ©  Copyright with date
                               Issued 1974 - 1985
 
              BP3c         line 1 - BEATRIX POTTER with
                                            no S
                               line 2 - Character Name within
                                            quotations
                               line 3 - ©  F. Warne & Co. (date)
                               line 4 - Licensed by Copyrights
                               line 5 - BESWICK ENGLAND
                               Issued 1985 - 1988 
 
BP4       Beswick Signature - At this time the Beswick
                  backstamp was replaced by the Royal
                  Doulton backstamp.   However the 
                  Beswick connection was sustained by the
                  inclusion of the John Beswick signature on
                  the backstamp 
                               line 1 - BEATRIX POTTER
                               line 2 - Character's Name within quotations
                               line 3 - © F Warne & Co. with date
                               line 4 - John Beswick Signature
                               line 5 - Studio of Royal Doulton
                               line 6 - England   
                               Issued 1988 - 1989 
 
BP5       Royal Albert Gold Crown - The Backstamp
                  was now changed from Doulton/Beswick to
                  Royal Albert.  To mark this significant 
                  change the gold backstamp was once again
                  used for just one year.
                              line 1- The Royal Albert Crown in Gold
                              line 2 - ROYAL ALBERT (R)
                              line 3 - England
                              line 4 - Character Name
                              line 5 - Beatrix Potter
                              line 6 - © F. Warne & Co. 1948
                              line 7 - © 1989 ROYAL ALBERT LTD
                              Issued in 1989 only
 
BP6       Royal Albert Brown Crown - There were two
                  sizes issued in this backstamp.
                  Issued 1989 to 1998
              
             BP6a - Small Brown Crown - This was used
                  on the figures that were of standard size.
                  It was issued in 1989 and was used on
                  90 figurines.  For small based figures there
                  was a variation without the crown 
                              line 1 - The Royal Albert Crown in Brown
                              line 2 - ROYAL ALBERT
                              line 3 - England
                              line 4 - Character Name
                              line 5 - Beatrix Potter
                              line 6 - © F.Warne & Co. 1948
                              line 7 - © 1989 ROYAL ALBERT LTD
                       
             BP6b - Large Brown Crown - This was issued
                  in 1993 and was used on ten figurines.
                              line Lay-out - as BP6a above 
 
BP7       Beswick Brown Oval - This Backstamp was
                  issued to commemorate the
                 100th Anniversary of Peter Rabbit - 1893 -
                 1993 and was only used on the Large Size
                  Peter Rabbit          
                  Issued 1993
 
BP8       Beswick Ware Brown Script - 'Beswick Ware
                  England' or 'Beswick Ware Made in
                  England' is the earliest printed backstamp of
                  the W. Beswick, Baltimore Works, Longton,
                  and it was for the Beswick Centenary that
                  the Beswick Ware logo was reinstated as
                  the primary backstamp of the John Beswick
                  Studio of Royal Doulton
                  Issued 1994 to 1998
 
              BP8a - General Backstamp - Issued for a very short period
                   of time in 1998, the brown script may turn
                   out to be the rarest of the Beatrix Potter
                   backstamps as it is only found on 2 figures.
 
              BP8b - 50th Anniversary of Beatrix Potter Figures at
                   Beswick - Issued in 1997 for the 50th Anniversary of
                   Beatrix Potter Figurine production at the
                  John Beswick Studios on Longton in 1997.

 

              BP8c - Limited Edition Backstamp - This backstamp is a
                   modification of BP8a and it was designed for use on
                   limited edition figurines.
 
BP9        Beswick Ware Gold Script - A gold Beswick
                   Ware script backstamp was coupled with
                   the anniversary, limited edition, gold or
                   platinum highlighted figurines. 
                   Issued 1997 to 1999   
                
              BP9a - 100th Anniversary of John Beswick
                   Studios - This backstamp was issued in
                   1994 to commemorate the 100th 
                   Anniversary of the founding of the Beswick
                   studios.   It was only available on
                   Jemima Puddle-Duck.
 
              BP9b - General Backstamp -
                  This Gold Beswick Ware backstamp was
                  used between 1997 and 1998 on small sized
                  figures issued with gold accents 
 
              BP9c - Limited Edition Backstamp -
                   This is a modified BP9b
                   and appears on large sized figurines which
                   were issued by Lawleys between 1997 and
                   2000.    
 
              BP9d - Peter Rabbit and Friends Limited Editions -
                   This is also a modification of the BP9b
                   backstamp and was used on limited edition
                   figures with gold accents which were issued
                   by Peter Rabbit and Friends
 
BP10     Beswick Black Crest - The Beswick backstamp was
                   redesigned in 1998 and the Beswick
                   crest which had first been seen in
                   1968 was re-introduced for the Beswick
                   line of Storybook figurines.
                   Issued 1998
 
              BP10a - General Backstamp Issue - This backstamp was
                   used on 27 Figurines. 
                
              BP10b - Beswick Black Arch - A modification was
                    necessary as there was a restriction on the
                    base of some figurines.
                    This backstamp was used on 14 figures.

 

              BP10c - Beswick Black Circle - This is also a modified
                   version of BP10a because of base restriction and was
                   used on 8 figures.
 
              BP10d - Peter Rabbit and Friends Limited Editions -
                  This backstamp is a gold version of BP10a
                   and was used on the limited edition figurine
                   Sweet Peter Rabbit which was
                   commissioned by Peter Rabbit and Friends.
 
BP11      John Beswick Signature - From 2001 both
                   the standard range figures and the
                   limited/special edition figures carry a "John
                   Beswick" signature instead of the word
                   "Beswick".  The Doulton "P" number for
                   each figure is also included for all 
                   limited/special edition figures from 2001
                   and standard range from 2002.
 
              BP11a - General Backstamp Issue - This backstamp was
                   used on 9 figurines.   Satin Glaze was also
                   used on another six figurines.  These six
                   also have the words 'SATIN FINISH' 
                   arranged in a circle on a paper sticker. 
 
              BP11b  Limited/ Special Edition Backstamp - This was
                   used on the limited edition figures:
                              
                              Flopsy and Benjamin Bunny
                              Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, style two   
                              Kep and Jemima
                              My Dear Son Thomas
                              Peter and Benjamin Picking Apples
                              Peter on his Book.