The three
Victorian Novelty Silver and Gold Key Propelling Pencils illustrated above, along with photographs of contemporary corresponding design registrations, allow us to date the the items to a reasonable time scale despite the lack of hallmarks. The documents also add interest and give us an affiliation with the objects and the period.
Design Registrations were introduced to allow designers and inventors to patent and protect their work. All of the original applications and documents are now kept at the
National Archives at Kew in London and are available for public viewing once one has acquired a 'Reader's Ticket'.
The Ornamental Designs Act of 1842 consolidated all earlier acts and simplified the process to register a design. It created 13 classes of ornamental design materials, including metal, which was class number I. Items whose design was registered at the Patent Office Design Registry can be marked with a registration diamond or lozenge mark where the letters and figures identify the class of product, the year month and day of registration, and the parcel number. The design act protected the design for three years, although manufacturers continued to mark their wares long after the legal protection expired.
After 1883, design registration diamond or lozenge marks were replaced with a single Registered Design Number proceeded by the letters 'Rd' beginning with number 1 in 1884 and continuing until 1989. In 1989 the beginning number in August changed to 2,000,000.
An interesting aspect often seen on these registered designs is that the proprietors did not limit the descriptions of their designs to one object - 'Pencil Case' for instance, but gave themselves scope for using (and protecting) the design for use with other articles simply by adding the words "and like articles" or even just "etc". Dimensions were also intentionally not included. Thus, Walter Thornhill's registered design 'RD 320274', a vessel in the form of a stylised Dolphin, could be a Cup or an Inkstand or a Candlestick or an Etui or a Muffineer or a Pepper Box or a Mustard Box!
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