Beswick Pottery was established in 1894 at Longton, Stoke-on-Trent by James Wright Beswick and his two sons, John and Gilbert. In the 1930s the pottery began to move from tableware to producing animal models. From 1948 onwards Beswick began to produce their Beatrix Potter figures which are still widely collected today. These figures (originally ten of the most popular characters) were an immediate success, and new characters were regularly added. Disney, Winnie the Pooh and Alice in Wonderland figures also followed later.
The more commercially successful models were, the less valuable they tend to be now, because they were produced in high numbers. Older models are thought by experts to have greater mould detail and sharper colouring. Some collectors look only for those figures with a ‘gold’ back stamp (the marking used on the bottom of the figurines), but it is actually some of the transitional (gold and brown) and early brown back stamps which are much rarer.
It is worth noting that many of the earliest figures have crazing on them. Crazing is a network of fine hairline cracks in the surface of the glaze, which looks a little like a spiderweb. It occurs during production, when the clay body and glaze cool at different rates. Crazing is a very common condition and expert opinion is that buyers should expect some crazing on all glazed art pottery. Crazing does not typically affect the value of the piece. However, it is noticeable and it is considered a glaze defect.
What to look for when collecting Beatrix Potter figures
If you are beginning to collect Beatrix Potter figurines it is helpful to understand the various back stamps (there is a detailed description of the most common back stamps at the foot of this post). The earliest back stamps are probably the most important, as it is these which are usually the more valuable pieces. The first two series are the BP1 and BP2 series: the ‘gold’ back stamps. The next series were the BP3 series: the brown line stamps.
If you simply want to collect a set of figurines, regardless of value, then look carefully at condition and choose pieces that are well-painted and free from chips, cracks and crazing. If you want to specialise in rarer pieces, then the transitional and early brown back stamps would be good places to start, as the short production runs on these back stamps make then hard to locate. However, if hunting for the most valuable and sought after pieces interests you, then the early ‘gold’ back stamps will be what you need to find.
Good places to look for Beatrix Potter figures are auctions, antique shops and flea markets. Always check pieces very carefully and avoid pieces with chips, cracks or restoration. Bear in mind that at least nineteen of the Beatrix Potter figures have been remodelled or recoloured in some way. Some models have been changed more than once. Often these changes were made for technical or production reasons. For example, Benjamin Bunny was originally modelled with both his arms positioned away from his body and the tips of his ears poking out from under his tam-o-shanter. The arms and ears were vulnerable to chips and breaks, so the figure was remodelled twice to reduce the risk of damage. Some changes (especially to paint colours) were suggested by the copyright holders to better represent Beatrix Potter’s original illustrations and others were due to changes in the ceramic paint formula. Again, many collectors prefer the older ‘first edition’ pieces.
Backstamp Guide
BP1
BP1a is a gold circle created from the words ‘Beswick’ and ‘England’. BP1b has the words ‘Beswick’ and ‘England’ formed in parallel lines. The BP1 stamps were used only on figurines manufactured between 1948 and 1954, and twenty figures may bear these stamps. These include the initial collection of ten figures, which were: Jemima Puddleduck, Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten, Timmy Tiptoes, Squirrel Nutkin, Mrs. Tittlemouse, Little Pig Robinson, Benjamin Bunny, Samuel Whiskers and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. The other models which could bear BP1 back stamps (including first production dates) are: Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail (1953), Foxy Whiskered Gentleman (1953), Hunca Munca (1951), Johnny Townmouse (1953), Lady Mouse (1950), Miss Moppet (1953), Mr. Jeremy Fisher (1950), Mrs. Rabbit (1951), Ribby (1951) and Timmy Willie (1949).
BP2
BP2a is a gold oval created from the words ‘Beswick’ and ‘England’. This stamp was issued in a variety of forms from 1955 to 1972. BP2b is a transitional stamp between the BP2 and BP3 series which had the name of the character and ‘Beatrix Potter’ in gold with the remaining words in brown. This stamp was on a very limited number of figures from 1971 to 1972.
BP3
BP3a has the words ‘Beswick’ and ‘England’ in brown with the word ‘copyright’ with no date. The first line of the stamp has the words ‘Beatrix Potter’, the second line has the character name in quotations, and the third line reads ‘F Warne & Co Ltd’. This stamp was issued from 1973 to 1974. The BP3b stamp is very similar to BP3a, but contains a copyright date. This stamp was issued from 1974 to 1985. BP3c is similar to BP3b, but includes the line ‘Licensed by Copyrights’ and was issued from 1985 to 1988.
To see the vintage Beatrix Potter books which I currently have available in my Etsy shop, please click HERE (by clicking this link my Etsy shop will open in a new tab).