Part Variants
Lego parts change as new molds are created. Functionally it may stay the same but sometimes usage might change. This section tries to provide some history and other information on variants of various parts and will be updated as I discover more information.
Published Feb 15, 2026
Sometimes Lego is not always aligned across all studs.
There are also some parts that have multiple!
Here are three variations of Lego.
Logo
One of the classic characteristics of Lego bricks are the studs. Modern pieces have the Lego logo on each stud and has slightly changed over the years.
Mold Position Number
These are numbers (and sometimes letters) often found on bricks regardless of when they were molded. They represent the mold number and the position within the mold.
Until around 1974, "Pat Pend" marks were denoted on bricks. Once the patent was no longer pending, instead of creating new molds, the existing marks were "scratched" out in the mold as evident by either the text being visibly crossed out or "blobs" where the text was previously.
Pat Pend
Pat Pend marks
Examples where Pat Pend is scratched out
Part Numbers
Molds created since 1985 now include part numbers. Almost all parts now include them but there was a period when there were no additional markings besides the mold position number.
Pat Pend mark (left), part number (right)
Parts
