Royal Doulton Jug

Q: My parents own a Royal Doulton “Ale Jug,” part of the Watchman Series. When I look up the Watchman Series, I don’t think I’ve ever seen one exactly like another. The jug has this mark on the bottom and the number 383,666. The number D 1086 is handwritten on the bottom. The marks I see in books and on websites don’t have the same crown under the lion. They all have a multi-pointed top crown. Is this a fake?

A: No, it’s not a fake. The Night Watchman Series was designed by C.J. Noke, Royal Doulton’s art director, and was first made in 1899. Production stopped in 1945. The number 383,666 is the English design registry number, and indicates the design was registered in 1901. The pattern number is D 1086. There are 27 different scenes in the series and many different pieces. The word “Royal” was added to the Doulton name, and the coronet, the crown shaped like the one in the mark on your jug, was added to the mark in 1901, when Henry Doulton was appointed potter to King Edward VII. The 5-point crown was introduced later that year and is the crown most often found.