Hummel Figurine Trademark Information

Since 1935, genuine Hummel figurines have displayed either the Goebel or Manufaktur Rodental trademark on the underside of the piece. There are 20 documented trademarks and some rare pieces have an undocumented trademark. Until 1991, the Goebel Company trademark appeared on Hummel figurines as well as all Goebel products. Some older figurines bear two different incised or stamped trademark designs. Hummel, M.I. Hummel and M.I. Hummel Club are registered trademarks of Manufaktur Rodental GmbH, whether they appear in signature or block form. The trademark and copyright M.I. Hummel signature are used for authenticating, dating and appraising Hummel figurines.

Crown Trademark

Variations of the trademark all include a crown with the letters "WG" either incised or stamped below. HG are the initials of one of the Goebel founders. The Wide Ducal Crown trademark is a crown with the word "Goebel" below instead of the letters "HG."

Bee Trademarks

To commemorate the death of M.I. Hummel the trademark changed in 1950 to the letter "V" with a bee in it. The bumblebee represents Hummel's childhood nickname and the "V" is the first letter in the German word for distribution company.
There are 12 variations and names of this mark. Changes in the bee trademark include a large or small bee in the "V" and "W. Germany" either to the side or below. The Three-Line Trademark uses the stylized bee plus a copyright symbol and the words "W. Goebel" and "W. Germany." The Goebel Bee or Last Bee Trademark is the last trademark with the letter "V." The bee did not appear again until 1999 as part of the trademark.

Missing Bee Trademark

From 1979 to 1990 the simple trademark was the company name, Goebel, on one line with "W. Germany" below it.

Hummel Trademark

In 1991 Goebel designated this trademark specifically for M.I. Hummel products. With the unification of Germany the signification of West Germany was removed. This three-line mark is made up of "Goebel," "Germany" and a small variation of the crown mark.

Trademark from 1999 to 2008

The bee is back. A large bee above the word "Goebel" and the word "Germany" below is the trademark on figurines from 1999 to 2008.

2009 Trademark

This trademark clearly signifies an original M.I. Hummel. A small bee, the Manufaktur Rodental trademark and the word "Germany" complete the trademark.

References

• M.I. Hummel
• Nancy's Gifts