Limited Edition & Numbered Limoges Boxes: How to Read the Marks

Collectors ask us one question more than any other: "What does the number on the bottom of my Limoges box mean?" This page answers it, with real marks photographed from pieces that have passed through our hands.

The 6-point collector's check

Turn the box over and look for these, in this order:

1. "Limoges France." The porcelain was made in the Limoges region of France. Without it, the piece is not French Limoges.
2. "Peint Main" (or "Peint à la main"). It means hand painted. "Rehaussé Main" means hand-enhanced: a printed design finished by hand.
3. The edition number. A mark like 213/1000 means this piece is number 213 in an edition of 1,000.
4. Edition words. "Édition Limitée," "Limited Edition," "No." or "N°" tell you the design was made in a set quantity.
5. Artist initials. Two or three letters (D.V., M.T., P.M.) identify the painter who decorated the box.
6. The studio or maker name. Names like Artoria, Chamart or Elda Créations tell you which workshop produced it.

Real numbered and limited edition marks

Artoria: n° 213 / 1000

A classic numbered edition: the studio name, "Peint Main," "Limoges France" and the piece number written over the edition size, all by hand.

Elda Créations: 1 / 500

"Peint à la main" is the longer French way of saying hand painted. Number 1 of 500 is the first piece recorded in that edition.

French Home: Limited Edition 40 / 500

Some editions add a printed logo above the hand-written lines. Here the words "Limited Edition" are printed, and the number is written by hand.

Pierre Arquié: Édition Limitée

Not every limited edition shows "x of y." Some carry a long single number instead. Treat it as the piece's own serial number, not its place in the edition.

Artist-numbered pieces: D.V. N° 13, M.T. N° 030, P.M. n° 62

Here the number sits right next to the painter's initials. These numbers are usually the painter's or workshop's own count, and they don't always tell you the total edition size.

Does a low number make a box worth more?

Collectors love low numbers, and a "1 of 500" makes a lovely story. In practice, value depends far more on the design, condition, the hinge and clasp, and whether the edition is retired than on the number itself. Don't overpay for a number alone.

Retired editions

When a limited edition sells through, the design is retired and no more are painted. That is when collectors start looking for it on the secondary market, and it is why we keep retired pieces in stock whenever we can find them.

Quick answers

No number at all? Most Limoges boxes are not numbered. A box with "Limoges France" and "Peint Main" is authentic even without a number.
Number scratched or rubbed off? It happens with age. It does not make the piece fake.
"Limoges" with no "France"? Be careful. Some boxes made elsewhere use the word "Limoges" as a style name.

Shop with confidence

Every box at Limoges Direct is authentic French porcelain from Limoges, France. Browse our limited edition Limoges boxes, or see all Limoges boxes.

Limoges Direct: Limoges boxes for collectors.