What is the Hummel Mark?
A Hummel figurine can be dated by the marking or trademark on the underside of its base. This mark is also referred to as the backstamp, stamp, or figure. This is very important as Hummel values are determined by age as well as scarcity.
How old are Hummels?
Goebel Hummel figurines debuted to the public at the 1935 Trade Fair in Leipzig, Germany, and their success was immediate. Within months, Goebel’s company had begun work on more than 40 additional designs.
What is the signature mark on a Hummel figurine?
From this start America became Goebel’s largest market for Hummel porcelain figurines. This signature mark was included on all Hummel pieces with enough base space. It was either incised as a signature, along with one of the other Crown Marks, or used as a backstamp in blue or black. As shown in Fig. 4 & 5
When did mi Hummel stop using the Mark?
The mark was used until about mid-1979, when they began to phase it out, completing the transition to the new trademark in 1980. Generally the mark was placed under the glaze from 1972–1976 and over the glaze 1976–1979. Use of this trademark began in 1979.
What are the numbers on the underside of a Hummel?
The identifying marks on the UNDERSIDE of Hummels tell the Hummel Model Number (HUM), the size indicator (Arabic and Roman Numerals), the year of release (usually the year after the production year), and sometimes the paint and/or painters code numbers (incised Arabic numbers or script initials). Hummel Marks from TMK-1 to TMK-8
How did the company Hummel get its name?
The company incorporated a bee in a V. It is thought that the bumblebee part of the mark was derived from a childhood nickname of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel, meaning bumblebee. The bee flies within a V, which is the first letter of the German word for distributing company, Verkaufsgesellschaft.