Royal Doulton Butter or Nut Dishes

 

Q: I’m trying to find out more about a set of Royal Doulton dishes I found. They are small, possibly for butter or nuts? After looking at your marks book, I think they date from the 1930s, would you agree? Are they a treasure find or more mundane?

 

A: Royal Doulton used a date-number system from 1913 into the 1930s to indicate when a mold was made. Some Royal Doulton marks used after 1927 include a number on the right side of the crown. The number “4” in your mark means the mold was made in 1931 (1927 plus 4). It’s hard to sell dishes like yours unless they’re part of a complete service. Your dishes, which could also be used to serve fruit, would sell for about $5 each.