Who would ever guess that the same company that created those graceful "Pretty Ladies" figurines in flowing gowns also used to make sewer pipes? Such was the evolution of Royal Doulton, which started out in 1815 as a partnership named Jones, Watts & Doulton. As the years went by and they began making more and different types of wares, the company established separate businesses until 1854, when it became entirely owned by the Doulton family. At that point the independent businesses were liquidated and one company was formed - Doulton & Co. Throughout the decades, as partnerships changed, so did the company name as well as their identifying marks.
Royal Doulton, under several different names, has produced many types of items from ceramic plates and stoneware bottles to the porcelain figurines we all recognize. But what we may not recognize are the fakes that are being made in Asia and even Ireland, or the even harder to detect altered pieces.
Fake Royal Doulton is so extensive that England's Trading Standards Officers (TSO) who work on behalf of businesses and consumers to prevent, detect and prosecute illegal activity in many areas including fraud, issued a warning about fake Royal Doulton several years ago. In seizures of these pieces, ranging from Lambeth Ware to more contemporary Doulton, they found that counterfeiters are making new molds from original items. These fake pieces don't have the detail of the originals, and they may have colors that are too bold and bright where original Doulton colors would have been more subtle. TSO also found that the application of the paint can be uneven, so some areas are lighter than others.
Trading Standards Officers also found fakes that were marked on the bottom with felt-tipped pens instead of having incised numbers. Pieces that were supposed to be vintage or antique had clean, unscuffed bottoms with none of the wear or soiling you would typically find on a piece with age.
When a mold is made from an existing authentic piece and that mold is then used to make a fake, the resulting piece is somewhat smaller in size than an authentic piece would be. Most Royal Doulton reference guides include the measurements of each piece listed, which helps buyers weed out some fakes. In some cases, the fake piece is solid, made with lightweight plaster so it doesn't need to be fired and therefore it doesn't shrink. Although these pieces may have the correct measurements, they'll be a bit heavier and the unpainted base will have a different color tone than a true Doulton figurine.
While most fake Royal Doulton is being made in Asia and Ireland, there's also a lesser-known problem of altered authentic Royal Doulton pieces. Some of these pieces are being sold as prototypes or unfinished items, which would be highly desirable if real. Sometimes fakers fire the color off of a piece and then represent it as unfinished. These can be hard to detect, but if you look closely, you may be able to see hints of color left on the piece; one piece known to be sold this way is a Santa character jug - the piece was finished, but the color in Santa's red jacket was fired off, turning it white. Such a piece will be represented as unfinished, but if you look carefully you may be able to see traces of red.
Another type of alteration is when fraudsters change features on an authentic piece to make it seem like a one-of-a-kind item. Such was the case with a "Mad Hatter" character mug, whose white hair was painted black and a black mustache was added to its face. The backstamps are, of course, all authentic because this was a real Doulton piece, but the words "Factory Property" were added underneath, handwritten in blue, to make the piece seem like a rare one-of-a-kind item that never went into production. You may also find small spots on the bottom that look like they have white paint on them - this is where the scammer has tried to obliterate a telltale mark or HN number that can identify the piece as what it truly is. They may put in a new HN number or even apply an additional Doulton backstamp - careful examination of the piece will tell the real story.
A good reference source is important, not just for marks, dates, sizes and numbers, but also because some fakes have the wrong colors on them. If the jacket on a figurine was painted in more than one color by Doulton but you're looking at a solid-color jacket, it's probably not authentic. One such piece that was seen online was a "Jester" toby with a completely red face - Doulton's real "Jester" toby had true-to-life facial colors. This example also had sloppy paintwork as well as the uneven paint application mentioned earlier.
These fakes are sold online as well as in shops, so know what to look for, consult experts or your trusted reference guide, and enjoy the hunt!
Photos are property of the author except for dancing figurine (sourced from Wikimedia Commons).

At A Glance
Signs of a fake:
1. Bold or bright colors.
2. Uneven paintwork.
3. Lack of detail.
4. Incorrect colors.
5. "Whited-out" spots underneath.

Reference books, websites and collecting groups are the best ways to keep from being fooled by fakes. Here are a few: “Royal Doulton Figurines” by Jean Dale; Doulton Collectors Club (https://doultoncollectorsclub.com); Royal Doulton Collectors Events (https://www.facebook.com/Royal-Doulton-Collectors-Events-274389312697268).