Dresden Porcelain Marks

Hallmarks on Dresden pieces specify manufacture sites. Marks that typify the city of Dresden have some variation of the crossed swords and the letter D, for Dresden. These marks were common in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.

Dresden porcelain marks later were often a blue crown along with the letter D. The crossed swords originated fifteen miles away near the city of Meissen. Meissen has an M on its pottery.

Other marks that might be found on Dresden pieces would be designs with the word or name Potschappel. Dresden marks sometimes are hand applied in blue or red with a gold overglaze. The marks on china are often viewed as a pedigree, so to speak of the china pieces.

Pottery marks have changed over the years, so it is with great excitement people who are purchasing an item look first for the hallmark. Crowns, swords, initials and glazes all are clues to the history of a porcelain piece. The pottery marks are small pieces of art on their own.