Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 2026-11-09: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.
The essentials
- A print, a photograph or a bronze often exists in several copies: the markings tell you which one you have and how many exist.
- 12/50 denotes a numbered copy; EA, HC and BAT denote copies printed outside the numbering.
- Note the marking exactly as inscribed, with its position, and photograph it.
Artist’s proof, numbered and signed edition: what are we talking about?
A lithograph, an engraving, a screen print, a photograph or a bronze sculpture can be reproduced from the same matrix: stone, plate, screen, negative or mould. All the copies together form the edition, or print run. So that the buyer knows what they are acquiring, the artist and the publisher limit this edition and mark it: this is the numbered and signed edition.
Alongside the numbered copies, there are copies printed separately, for the artist, the printer or the publisher. These are what the markings EA, HC, BAT or PP refer to. They generally appear in pencil in the margin of a print, on the back of a photograph, and on the base or plinth of a bronze.
The markings and their meaning
| Marking | What it means |
|---|---|
| Numbering n/N (e.g. 12/50) | Copy number n of an edition limited to N copies. The figure on the right gives the size of the edition. |
| EA, E.A., artist’s proof (A.P.) | Copy reserved for the artist, in addition to the numbered edition. Often numbered in Roman numerals (EA II/X). |
| HC, hors commerce | Copy originally intended for the publisher, the printer or collaborators, not for sale. |
| BAT, bon à tirer | Proof approved by the artist, which serves as the printer’s model for the whole edition. In principle unique. |
| Trial proof, state proof | Proof pulled during the work, before the final version. It may differ from the final edition. |
| PP, printer’s proof | Copy given to the printer. |
| Deluxe edition (tirage de tête) | In a book or portfolio edition, the first copies, on finer paper or enhanced with a print or a suite. |
| Unique proof, unique piece | Only one copy exists: monotype, photograph printed only once, hand-retouched work. |
| Numbered cast | For a bronze: number of the cast out of the planned total (e.g. 3/8), engraved in the metal. |
| Foundry mark | Mark of the foundry that made the bronze, often accompanied by the words “lost wax” or the founder’s name. |
What does 12/50 mean?
On a print, a photograph or a bronze, 12/50 means “copy number twelve of an edition of fifty”. The denominator is the most useful information: it says how many numbered copies exist. The numerator does not necessarily reflect the order of printing, since sheets are often numbered afterwards; a “1/50” is therefore not, in itself, better than a “37/50”.
Note: the announced edition counts only the numbered copies. EAs, HCs, BATs and trial proofs are added to it. An edition “of 50 copies” can thus exist in slightly more than fifty sheets in total. A good certificate or catalogue states the whole.
Sculptures and photographs: what the tax definition says
For the application of the tax rules specific to works of art, article 98 A of Annex III to the Code général des impôts defines what an original work is. It limits sculpture casts to 8 numbered copies, plus 4 artist’s proofs, and photographs to 30 copies. This is why one often meets bronzes numbered out of 8, accompanied by artist’s proofs numbered in Roman numerals.
This definition serves tax law; it does not prevent an artist from making other choices. For a specific question, ask an expert or an adviser.
Artist’s proof and value
The value of an artist’s proof, a numbered lithograph or a cast depends first on factors that have nothing to do with the marking:
- The artist’s reputation and the place of the work in their output.
- Rarity: a small edition is, other things being equal, more sought-after than a large one.
- The signature: a print signed in pencil by the artist is worth more than an unsigned proof or one signed in the plate.
- Condition: margins, light damage, foxing, folds, patina of a bronze.
- The date of printing: a period edition, made under the artist’s supervision, does not have the value of a posthumous reprint.
An EA or a BAT may interest some enthusiasts, but no marking alone makes the value. For a valuation, see our guide having a painting valued.
How to record an edition in a record
- Copy the marking exactly, as inscribed: “12/50”, “EA II/X”, “HC”, “BAT”.
- Note its position: lower left margin, back of the print, base of the bronze.
- Record the signature: in pencil, in the plate, on the back, monogram.
- Record the marks: embossed stamp of the publisher or printer, foundry mark, paper watermark.
- State the technique and the paper: lithograph on Arches vellum, silver gelatin print, bronze with brown patina.
- Photograph each marking in close-up, and file the certificate of authenticity with the record.
Artists who publish their own work should keep a register of each edition, copy by copy, with the buyer of each: it is the basis of a future catalogue raisonné.
With Collectalia
The record of a print, a photograph or a sculpture has dedicated fields: numbered edition, EA or HC, signature, foundry mark. Photos of the markings and the certificate are filed there, and each copy can have its own record, with its location, its sales and the contacts linked to it.
Disclaimer. Collectalia is not a legal, tax or insurance advice site. The information on this page is general and based on French legislation in force as of 2026-11-09: it may change, does not necessarily apply outside France and does not take your situation into account. Always have it checked by a notary, a lawyer, an accountant or your insurer before acting on it.