Can different ponies have the same cutie mark?

[EliteAspect]

I noticed two ponies from the show that have the same cutie marks...a harp.

I personally think they made that a mistake, but who knows? It would really be demoralizing to know you're not as "special" as you thought you were...

[Chishio Kunrin]

You mean, like this pony's cutie mark?


I'd actually like to point out that her cutie mark is a lyre, not a harp. Her name, Lyra Heartstrings, even references that.

But, onto the topic at hand... There can't just be one single pony in all of a Equestria who's good at playing the lyre. And we've seen that a pony's cutie mark doesn't completely define who they are or what their talent is. Rarity's cutie mark is three diamonds, signifying that she has a talent for finding gems, but she also has great talent in fashion design! Fluttershy's cutie mark is butterflies, but she's talented at dealing with all sorts of animals, not just bugs.

[Buddy Minute]

Wasn't there an episode featuring several nurse ponies who had red cross cutie marks? Nurse Redheart was the name of one of them, I think.

4th wall stuff aside, I'd like to think that, yes, some ponies can have the same cutie marks for different reasons. Maybe some are twins. Maybe some ponies who's special talent requires group work--like a hospital--share similar or the same cutie mark. It's something of a headcanon, but it works for me.

[Mizuki]

When you're making a flash animated tv show, it's smart to re-use as many assets as possible. That's probably why you see several ponies with the same exact cutie mark.

I'm sure that "in-universe", though, that every pony has their own special and totally unique cutie mark, regardless if their talent is similar to someone else's or not. (The apple family is a pretty good example of this!)