Bone China Markings (Salisbury)

[Ellenshar]

Okay, to continue with my research on cups and saucers, I was just wondering if you can explain the markings on the back.

1.  What does the number at the top (2352 B) mean?  I thought it was the pattern number, but I see that "English Bouquet" is already on the cup.
2.  What does the "2" right below that mean?
3.  What does "RD Shape -No. 864332" at the bottom mean?  (I don't understand the word "shape" - I thought this was a registration number).

Thanks.

[D&b antiques]

2352 B is the pattern number. the RD is and english registry number.

[Ellenshar]

Thanks! 

I was also wondering if the tea cups and saucers were the only items made (there are thousands on E-Bay) or whether each manufacturer did a complete china set (dinner plates, salad plates, etc.) for each pattern.  Reason I ask is you don't see a lot of regular plates, etc. on E-Bay, just lots of cups and saucers.  If complete sets were made, I was just wondering what happened to the other pieces to the sets?

On a side note, from doing my research I had started with the impression that there were maybe a 100 different "vintage" patterns of cups and saucers out there.  I thought my research would take a day or two.  Boy was I wrong!

[cogar]

People find the same thing out when they start researching Depression Glass.

And the same with Carnival Glass ........ but it will lead one on back to the old Pattern Glass designs.

A big expense was in the making of a mold for each different shape/piece of glass or pottery and they used them for ever n' ever. And in many cases they would mix n' match the tops n' bottoms of similar sized molds.

Oh yeah, and when a company would go out of business .... another company would buy their molds ....... which leads to more confusion in identifying a piece. Fosteria's American Pattern is a prime example of this.