A Complete Guide to Reading Meissen Porcelain Codes and Markings

In 17th-century Europe, porcelain imported from the East was referred to as "white gold" and highly coveted.
While many regions attempted to replicate white porcelain, it was in Meissen, Saxony, Germany, where the first successful production took place—giving rise to the famous Meissen kiln.

After World War II, the Meissen kiln became a state-owned enterprise known as the "State Porcelain Manufactory Meissen."
With over 300 years of history and more than 230,000 types of items produced, Meissen porcelain is beloved by collectors worldwide.
To manage this vast variety, handwritten and stamped numbers are marked on the bottom of each item.

Structure of Meissen Numbers

The basic structure is as follows:

• ○○○○○○: 6-digit pattern number (design number)
• □□□□: 2–4-digit painter number
• △△△△△: 3–5-digit form number (shape/model number)

Examples of notation:

• Red handwritten letters: Pattern number / Painter number (e.g., 020610 / 243)
• Stamped numbers: Form number (e.g., 00582)

Let’s Look at a Real Example

Let’s take a closer look using the “Meissen Rose (Yellow) Tea/Coffee Cup & Saucer” as an example.

The image above is from our store's product page.
The red-marked part shows the pattern number “020610” and the full set item number “00582.”

As you can see, both red handwritten numbers and stamped codes are present.
The cup shows “00572” and the saucer shows “562” (an abbreviation for “00562”).
However, the full set number “00582” is not marked anywhere.
This is because the combination is structured as follows:

• Cup form number: 00572
• Saucer form number: 00562 (leading zeros may be omitted)
• Combined set form number: 00582

This same pattern is confirmed in other Meissen products as well.

Another Example: Red and Gold Onion Tea Cup & Saucer

This is our “Red and Gold Onion Tea Cup & Saucer.”
It does not appear on the official Meissen website but shares the same form as the “Blue Onion” series.
According to the official website, the set’s form number is “00633.”
However, the actual markings show “00623” on the cup and “00613” on the saucer,
indicating that the full set number is derived from a combination of these two.

Conclusion

While Meissen has a defined numbering system, not all products follow the exact same rules.
For example, items without painted decoration may lack a pattern number or painter code.
Even for the same pattern, there may be variations in how numbers are written.
It’s important to inspect each item carefully.

This article explained how to read Meissen porcelain product codes.
In our next post, we’ll introduce numbering systems from other European porcelain brands. Stay tuned!