FIRST PERIOD BLACK MARK 1863 - 1890
Early pieces of parian leaving the pottery were either impressed with the word
"BELLEEK" or "BELLEEK, CO FERMANAGH". Others were impressed and marked
with the Belleek 1st period mark. The colour of the mark during this period was
predominantly black but other colours were sometimes used, amondst them red, blue, orange,
green and brown. Some pieces of Belleek also carry the British Patent Office registration
mark, which gives the date of registration, not the date of manufacture.
Belleek changed its mark to comply with the McKinley Tariff Act of 1891, requiring imports to the USA to specify the country of origin. A second banner was added below the first mark, carrying the words "CO FERMANAGH, IRELAND".
A stamp with the words "DEANTA IN EIRINN"
(made in Ireland) and the registered trademark number
0857 was added below the banner.
The mark remained the same but had a colour change.
To identify that the Belleek mark was registered in the USA the letter "R" within a circle was added above the banner.
The mark was reduced in size and the words "CO FERMANAGH" deleted, leaving "IRELAND" within a shortened banner.
The same as the Third Green, but another colour change to Gold.