How Do You Read The Understamp?
One of the key features of all Cherished Teddies figurines is their unique understamp -- the
information found on the bottom of the piece. The understamp tells you all about the piece.
Cherished Teddies®: Most figurines will have the words Cherished Teddies®, the registered
trademark, on the understamp. However, in the past, these words have been omitted on figurines with
a smaller understamp area. Lack of the words Cherished Teddies® does not change the secondary
value of the piece.
The Name: This is the name of the figurine. In some instances, Cherished Teddies figurines have been
created with no name, only their message. This is commonly done when a figurine is created to
symbolize a general theme, such as all the figurines in the Our Cherished Family collection.
The Message: Every Cherished Teddies figurine has a special message that is found in quotations below
its name.
Special Notation (if applicable): If the figurine is a limited edition or exclusive piece there will be
notation of this below the message -- for example Limited to Year of Production or 1998 Spring Catalog
Exclusive.
The Registration No.: This is the hand-written number found on the bottom of all Cherished Teddies
figurines. This is also commonly referred to among collectors as the ‘Year Mark’. This registration
number symbolizes the unique way Enesco has of tracking production quality. When Cherished Teddies were
originally produced in 1991 and 1992, all figurines were given a registration number that begins with a
random letter, thus any figurine produced in either 1991 or 1992 is considered a Letter Mark.
For example, registration no. C3/124 would represent a piece produced during that period. The
combination of letter and numbers has no defined meaning beyond identifying that piece. In 1993,
looking for a way to track quality control further, Enesco began adding a number in front of the
registration code. That number reflects the actual year of production. For example, a figurine produced
in 1993 will have a registration number that begins with the number 3 (as 3H1/234). A figurine produced
in 1994 will have a registration number that begins with 4, etc. In contrast with the ‘Letter Mark’
pieces, these pieces are refered to as 3 Marks, 4 Marks, etc. Future reference in this guide will
mention these as 3 marks, 4 marks, etc.
With figurines that are produced in a set limited amount, the registration number is changed to reflect
that figurine's number in the production order; for example, 1234/25,000.
The Copyright: Copyrights are obtained when the figurine is originally designed. This does not
necessarily mean that this is the year the figurine is first produced. Figurines introduced early in a
year will generally have a copyright date of the previous year -- for example, Mike, the March 1998
Adoption Center Event Figurine, was copyrighted in 1997. He did not make his debut until March 1998.
In this instance both 7 Mark and 8 Mark pieces can be found. All Cherished Teddies figurines will
contain a copyright followed by either P. Hillman or Priscilla Hillman.
The License: When Cherished Teddies figurines were originally produced in 1991 and 1992, their
license was held by Hamilton Gifts, Ltd., a division of Enesco Corporation. Earlier figurines will
have this on the understamp. In 1993, Enesco Corporation took over the license and all Cherished
Teddies figurines created and copyrighted since then will have licensee Enesco Corp. on the
understamp.
The Item#: The final part of a Cherished Teddies understamp is their item number, the 6 digit number
given to every item created for the collection. Under special circumstances, letters are added to
this six digit item number.
-- Figurines with the letter A following their Item# indicate items that were created for early release,
generally as a Catalog Exclusive.
-- Figurines with the letter I following their item# indicate items that were created for an
international production and release.
-- Figurines with the letter R following their item# indicate a Rare Bear.
When checking your Cherished Teddies figurines understamp, look for two key variations. The first of
these is a blue ink understamp. The very first production run of figurines in 1991 all had their
understamp done with blue ink. These are very rare. The second variation is a gold understamp.
This indicates that the figurine is a Rare Bear.
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