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Quick answer
The Schmincke HORADAM metal box 74 412 holds 12 half pans of Schmincke's artist-grade watercolor in a 22.3 × 7.2 cm black tin with room for 12 more half pans. The same 12 colors also come in the pocket-sized compact box 74 012 with a brush. Both are made in Germany and sit in our top price band, over $75.
On this page10 sections
The 74 412 box, 223 mm long, with room for 12 more half pans (1 mm = 2.6 px).
Product facts
Product
Schmincke HORADAM Aquarell metal box, 12 half pans (74 412)
12 HORADAM half pans in a black metal box with room for 12 more half pans, mixing palettes in the lid
Price range
$$$$over $75 per item
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Notes on these facts
Made by Schmincke (Erkrath, Germany). Made in Germany: Schmincke's German production page describes its artists' colors as Made in Germany and gives its address in Erkrath; it doesn't name the factory for this box specifically. Schmincke's Amazon US listings also say its colors are made in Germany. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
The 74 412 box measures 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm (8.8 × 2.8 × 0.9 in) and has space for 12 more half pans or 6 full pans, per Chapman Bailey.
Its 12 colors are 215, 224, 349, 353, 494, 492, 519, 534, 655, 649, 663 and 780, from lemon yellow to ivory black.
The compact 74 012 box holds the same 12 colors in 12.8 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm, with a da Vinci brush.
Schmincke's German site lists 139 HORADAM shades plus 50 supergranulating colors, made in Germany.
The compact 74 012 had 430 Amazon US ratings averaging 4.6 stars on October 23, 2026.
What is the Schmincke HORADAM 12 half-pan metal box?
It’s Schmincke’s classic long metal watercolor box, filled with 12 half pans of HORADAM, the German maker’s artist-grade watercolor. The box, item 74 412, has empty space for 12 more half pans, so it grows with your palette.
Schmincke has made artists’ colors in Germany since 1881. Its German site lists 139 HORADAM shades in pans and tubes, plus 50 supergranulating colors.
Schmincke 74 412 specs
Australian retailer Chapman Bailey lists the box at 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm with 12 half pans and room for 12 more half pans or 6 full pans.
Spec
HORADAM metal box, 74 412
Box size
22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm (8.8 × 2.8 × 0.9 in)
Pans
12 half pans, filled
Free space
12 more half pans or 6 full pans
Half pan size
1.5 × 2 cm (0.6 × 0.8 in), per Schmincke’s Amazon listing
Palette
Mixing areas in the lid
Grade
Artist (HORADAM)
Made in
Germany
Cass Art describes two folding palette surfaces in the lid of its 12 half-pan tin. Schmincke’s Amazon listing for the 24-pan version, 74 424, gives the same 22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm black metal box.
The 12 colors in both boxes (tints are representative, not color-accurate).
Which 12 colors does it include?
A warm and cool version of each primary, plus earths, a green and black. Chapman Bailey gives the numbers; Schmincke’s Amazon listing for the compact box names them.
Group
Colors (Schmincke number)
Yellows
Lemon yellow (215), cadmium yellow light (224)
Reds
Cadmium red light (349), permanent carmine (353)
Blues
Ultramarine finest (494), Prussian blue (492)
Greens
Phthalo green (519), permanent green olive (534)
Earths
Light ochre (655), English Venetian red (649), sepia brown (663)
Black
Ivory black (780)
That’s a mixing palette: with two yellows, two reds and two blues you can mix most hues, and the earths save mixing browns.
74 412 or the compact 74 012?
Get the 74 412 if you’ll add colors; get the 74 012 if you want the smallest box and a brush included.
74 412
74 012 compact
Box
22.3 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm
12.8 × 7.2 × 2.3 cm (5 × 2.8 × 0.9 in)
Pans
12 half
12 half
Room to add
12 half or 6 full
None
Brush
No
da Vinci travel brush
Same 12 colors
Yes
Yes
The compact box is the one most US buyers rate on Amazon: it showed 430 ratings averaging 4.6 stars on October 23, 2026, and that listing was about US$99 that day.
How much does the Schmincke box cost?
Both boxes sit in our top $$$$ band, over $75. On October 21, 2026 Cass Art listed its 12 half-pan tin at £79.95 (about US$106).
Yes: Schmincke says the pans refill with HORADAM tube color, and the 74 412 has empty wells for 12 more half pans. Schmincke sells single half pans across the HORADAM range.
To try other artist colors before buying pans, the Daniel Smith dot cards hold 288 swatches.
Where is Schmincke watercolor made?
In Germany: Schmincke describes its artists’ colors as Made in Germany and is based in Erkrath, near Düsseldorf. Its Amazon US listings repeat that its colors are made in Germany.
Frequently asked questions
What colors are in the Schmincke HORADAM 12 half-pan set?
Lemon yellow (215), cadmium yellow light (224), cadmium red light (349), permanent carmine (353), ultramarine finest (494), Prussian blue (492), phthalo green (519), permanent green olive (534), light ochre (655), English Venetian red (649), sepia brown (663) and ivory black (780).
Is Schmincke HORADAM worth the money?
It depends on your stage. HORADAM is Schmincke's artist-grade line, priced in our $$$$ band; if you're still learning, a student set such as the Sakura Koi or Cotman costs a fraction as much.
What's the difference between Schmincke 74 412 and 74 012?
Same 12 colors, different tins. The 74 412 is a 22.3 cm box with room for 12 more half pans; the 74 012 is a 12.8 cm compact box that's full with 12 and adds a brush.
Can you refill Schmincke half pans?
Yes. Schmincke's Amazon listing says the pans can be refilled with HORADAM tube color, and replacement half pans are sold singly.
Is Schmincke watercolor made in Germany?
Yes. Schmincke says its artists' colors are made in Germany, at its base in Erkrath, where it has made paint since 1881.
How big is a Schmincke half pan?
Schmincke's Amazon listing gives 1.5 × 2 cm (0.6 × 0.8 in) for the half pans in its boxes.
