Most Royal Doulton figurines sell for about $20-60 as of late 2026. The popular lady figures from the 1960s onward, the Pretty Ladies and similar models with HN numbers in the 2000s, 3000s and 4000s, typically sell at auction and online for about $20-50 each. Large character jugs of common characters such as Falstaff, the Huntsman and Churchill sell for about $15-65, and modern Bunnykins figures with DB numbers for about $15-40. The higher prices are concentrated in a few places: early HN figures from the 1910s to the 1930s, at about $300-3,000 for the better models, the first Bunnykins figures of 1939, which have sold for about $475-500 each, and prototypes and color trials, which have sold for $1,700 to over $5,000.
Royal Doulton made figurines in huge numbers for more than a century, and most were bought as gifts. That is why the secondary market for ordinary pieces is soft. The HN number on the base, the backstamp and the condition decide whether a figure is a $25 decoration or something a collector will compete for.
Quick answer
- Lady figurines and common HN models from the 1960s onward: about $20-60.
- Large character jugs, common characters: about $15-65. Small and miniature jugs: about $10-30.
- Bunnykins DB figures from 1972 onward: about $15-40; early 1939 Bunnykins figures about $475-500 at auction.
- Early HN figures from about 1913 to the 1930s: about $300-3,000 for better models, sales vary.
- Prototypes, color trials and limited prestige pieces: $1,700 to several thousand dollars.
How to identify and value Royal Doulton figurines, step by step
- Find the HN number. Most figures carry an HN number on the base, printed or hand painted, starting with HN1 Darling in 1913. The HN number identifies a specific model in a specific color. It is not a date. Character jugs and other wares use D numbers, and later Bunnykins figures use DB numbers.
- Read the backstamp. The lion on a crown above "Royal Doulton England" is the standard mark. From 1928 to the mid-1950s a small number beside the mark gives the year: add 1927 to it, so a 10 means 1937. "Made in England" and "Bone China" wording help separate older and later pieces.
- Note the country. Production moved from England to factories in Indonesia and China in the early 2000s. Bases marked with those countries are later pieces and sell for less than English-made ones of the same model.
- Find the model in a reference. Collector catalogs list every HN number with its years of production. A figure made for only a year or two, or withdrawn early, is scarcer than one made for decades.
- Check for color variations. Many models were made in several colors with different HN numbers. Some colorways were made in far smaller numbers and sell for much more.
- Check condition carefully. Look at fingers, hats, flowers, umbrella handles and other projecting parts for chips and restoration. Restoration can be hard to see; under a UV light, repaired areas often look different.
- For character jugs, note the size. Large, small, miniature and tiny sizes exist for many characters. Price follows size and the specific character.
- Price from sold results for the same HN or D number. Retail prices, insurance values and asking prices are all much higher than sold prices.
What Royal Doulton sells for
Sold ranges as of late 2026, from auction results and completed online sales. Retail and insurance values are much higher.
| Type | Examples | Recent sold range |
|---|---|---|
| Lady figurines, 1960s to 2000s | Pretty Ladies, Fair Lady, Southern Belle style models | About $20-60 |
| Lady figurines, scarcer or larger models | Short runs, larger sizes | About $60-200 |
| Made in Indonesia or China figures | Later production | About $15-40 |
| Large character jugs, common characters | Falstaff, Huntsman, Churchill | About $15-65; medians around $19-64 |
| Small, miniature and tiny jugs | Common characters | About $10-30 |
| Character jug prototypes and rare colorways | Pre-production and trial pieces | Roughly $1,000-5,000, sales are thin |
| Bunnykins DB figures, 1972 onward | Standard figures | About $15-40 |
| Bunnykins limited editions | Numbered runs | About $40-150 |
| Early Bunnykins figures, 1939 | Billy, Mary and others in the D6000 range | About $475-500 at auction |
| Bunnykins prototypes | Pre-production figures | About $1,700-5,250 at auction |
| Early HN figures, 1913 to 1930s | Low HN numbers, early models | About $300-3,000 for better models |
| Prestige and large limited figures | Large equestrian and historical pieces | Several thousand dollars at specialist auction |
The figures at the top of this table come from specialist sales. At one American auction of Bunnykins, a prototype Jackaroo sold for $5,250 against a $2,000-3,000 estimate, and the 1939 Billy and Mary figures sold for $500 and $475. At the other end, ordinary lady figures in British general sales regularly sell for under £30. Both are honest prices for what they are.
Condition and what changes the price
| Factor | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Perfect, no chips, crazing or restoration | Full value for the model |
| Chip on a finger, hat brim or flower | Deduct about 40-60 percent |
| Professional restoration | Deduct about 50-70 percent; must be disclosed |
| Crazing in the glaze on early figures | Deduct about 10-30 percent; common and expected on some |
| English-made versus later overseas production | English pieces sell higher |
| Scarce colorway | Adds, sometimes many times the common color |
| Original box and paperwork for limited editions | Adds about 10-30 percent |
| Second quality mark (scratched or drilled backstamp) | Deduct about 30-50 percent |
Character jugs and Bunnykins in brief
Character jugs started in 1934 and ran until 2011, covering literary, historical and popular figures in several sizes. Most were made in large numbers, which is why a large Falstaff often sells for under $25. Collectors pay for early versions with different colors or handles, short-lived characters, withdrawn designs and prototypes. Two-faced and double-handled designs and limited editions sit in between.
Bunnykins began as nursery ware in 1934, designed from drawings by Barbara Vernon, a nun whose father worked at the factory. The first figures came in 1939 and are rare. The large modern range with DB numbers began in 1972, first under the Royal Albert name and then Royal Doulton, and most of it sells for modest sums. Early nursery plates and bowls with the Barbara Vernon facsimile signature sell better than later ones.
Common mistakes
- Treating the HN number as a date. It identifies a model and color. The backstamp and references give the date.
- Using insurance or retail values. Those are replacement costs, not resale prices.
- Missing restoration. Restored fingers and hats are common. A UV light and a close look at the glaze help.
- Assuming all Bunnykins are valuable. The modern DB range is large and mostly modest.
- Overlooking the second quality mark. A scratched or drilled-through backstamp shows a factory second, which sells for less.
- Pricing by how pretty the figure is. The most decorative ladies are often the most common. Scarcity comes from short production runs and early dates, which only the HN number and a reference reveal.
- Buying online without a base photo. Any listing without a clear photo of the HN number and backstamp deserves caution, because the base is where seconds, later production and many repairs show.
- Selling a whole collection as a single lot without checking. One early figure or prototype can be worth more than the rest put together.
How WorthPic reads Royal Doulton photos
WorthPic runs on the newest and most capable AI model available, tuned for exactly this kind of identification. From photos it reads the HN, D or DB number, the backstamp and any year code, the country of manufacture, the model and colorway and visible condition such as chips and obvious repairs. That usually identifies the model and its production period. It then gives an honest value range based on what that model and condition sell for, not on retail or insurance figures.
What it cannot know from photos is skilled restoration, faint hairline cracks or whether a prototype is genuine. Prototypes and color trials need a specialist. It identifies and estimates. It does not authenticate, grade or appraise.
What to photograph
- The figure from the front, back and both sides, in daylight.
- The base straight on, with the HN number and backstamp readable.
- Fingers, hats, flowers and projecting parts close up.
- The figure under a UV light if you suspect restoration.
- The box and paperwork for limited editions.
- For character jugs, the handle and a ruler for size.
When to get it looked at in person
Common lady figures, standard character jugs and modern Bunnykins do not need an appraiser. If you have early HN figures from before about 1940, early Bunnykins, a figure with an unusual color or anything marked as a prototype or color trial, it is worth contacting an auction house with a Royal Doulton specialist sale or a dealer who focuses on Doulton. For other figurines often collected alongside, see our guides to Hummel figurines and Lladro figurines, and for help with marks in general, how to read pottery marks.