What does the “R” in a circle mean on some Belleek marks?

The circled “R” is a registered trademark symbol, and Belleek added it to its 5th mark in 1955. Belleek’s official mark history explains that the symbol showed the trademark had been registered in the United States, making it a useful clue for dating mid-twentieth-century pieces. The symbol did not stay in exactly the same place on every later backstamp. Belleek’s 6th mark, used from 1965 to 1980, reduced the overall size of the stamp and moved the position of the circled “R”. That means collectors should look at the complete backstamp layout rather than the symbol alone.

The 5th and 6th marks are both associated with the green-mark period, so a green Belleek stamp carrying the registered trademark symbol can point strongly towards production between 1955 and 1980. The exact period depends on the emblem size, wording and placement of the individual elements. For collectors, the circled “R” is useful since it ties the mark to trademark registration rather than decoration. If a piece has a green Belleek emblem and the “R” appears in the expected location, compare it with the official 5th and 6th mark designs to narrow the production date more accurately.