Definition:Beswick

Beswick dog figurines were produced by John Beswick Ltd., based in Longton, Staffordshire, from the 1930s through the late 1990s. The Beswick canine line is renowned for its naturalistic breed accuracy — their Cocker Spaniels, Labradors, Dalmatians, and Scotties are considered among the finest mass-market dog figures of the 20th century. Beswick used model numbers to catalog all figures; serious collectors track values by model number rather than breed alone. The company was acquired by Royal Doulton in 1969, and some Beswick dog models were subsequently produced under both names — a source of collector confusion but also cross-collection interest. The Beswick name was officially retired in 2002, making all genuine Beswick-marked pieces at least 20 years old.