14 Collectible Vintage Christmas Plates to Look for This Holiday Season

Christmas plates are quite underappreciated. Most people take them out during the Holiday and stuff them back in the attic on December 26, without realizing that some of these pieces could fetch $500 to $2,500 from collectors.

From Bing & Grøndahl to Royal Copenhagen and Tiffany & Co., many top-tier china brands made Christmas plates, which are no longer just Holiday decor; they’re valuable collectibles.

Below are some of the most exclusive and high-value vintage Christmas plates that actively sell well, and may see a surge during the Holiday season.

How to Identify a Valuable Christmas Plate?

Not all old Christmas plates are collectible today, but some certainly are. To spot the valuable ones, follow these simple steps:

• Look for the Backstamp: A backstamp is the maker’s mark printed or stamped on the underside. Almost every quality Christmas plate has one. Names that you should look for: Bing & Grøndahl, Royal Copenhagen, Spode, Lenox, Tiffany & Co., Wedgwood, Haviland, Tressemann & Vogt (T&V), and Noritake.
• Check the Country Stamp: Country is also significant. “West German made” indicates that your Waechtersbach porcelain dates from before 1990, while “Limoges, France” with a mark of T&V means your porcelain dates from 1891-1907.
• Check for the Year: Annual series plates carry the year right on the front, usually integrated into the design. A “Jule Aften” plate dated 1895 is the Bing & Grøndahl first-year. A “19 JUL 08” plate is the 1908 Royal Copenhagen.
• Spot the Artist Signature: High-value plates were designed by named artists. The Haviland Twelve Days series is signed “R. Hétreau” on the back. Franklin Mint Rockwell plates are signed in the etching itself. Anonymous, generic plates usually aren’t worth much.
• Check Condition: Condition is crucial. Gold trim wear, chip damage, hairline cracks, or crazing (the fine cracks in the glaze) all severely reduce a piece’s value.

Collector’s Tip: If a plate has no maker’s mark, no year, and no artist signature, it’s almost certainly mass-market dinnerware worth $5-$20, not a collectible.

14 Collectible High-Value Christmas Plates Worth Finding

Production Period	1895, one year only
Brand & Maker	Bing & Grøndahl, Denmark
Key Features	Blue-white porcelain, Copenhagen skyline
Collector Notes	World’s first Christmas plate

This is the very plate that started the collector-plate trend. Harald Bing (owner of Bing & Grøndahl), collaborated with artist Frans August Hallin to create the design featuring the Copenhagen skyline as viewed through a frosted window from Frederiksberg Castle.

Only 400 pieces have been made, and the molds were likely destroyed after the Christmas period in 1895, meaning all existing plates come from that same batch.

To identify an original piece from 1895, look for the underglazed “Jule Aften 1895” signature along with the Bing & Grøndahl three-tower trademark on the bottom.

Production Period	1896-1905
Brand & Maker	Bing & Grøndahl, Denmark
Key Features	Two crows, bare winter tree
Collector Notes	Designed by Dahl-Jensen

Bing & Grøndah issued the series after the 1865 Christmas plate until 1905, with only one plate issued each year. All plates have distinct Christmas designs. This plate, issued in 1899, depicts crows sitting on a bare winter tree surrounded by snow in the Danish countryside.

The designer of this plate was Jens Peter Dahl-Jensen, who also made a lot of other designs in the series. The earlier plates from the B&G series of the 1890s and 1900s sell better than the later plates because of the limited production of plates.

Production Period	1908, one year only
Brand & Maker	Royal Copenhagen, Denmark
Key Features	Blue Madonna, sun-ray halo
Collector Notes	First plate in series

This is Royal Copenhagen’s very first Christmas plate, designed by Christian Thomsen and produced only in 1908. The first one was produced in a very limited number because Royal Copenhagen had no idea of the success the Christmas plate series would have.

It depicts the Madonna with the Christ Child surrounded by a halo. The genuine 1908 plates will bear “19 JUL 08” in embossed form all around the edge, and the famous green Royal Copenhagen “Three Wave” logo in blue underglaze on the back side.

Production Period	1993 to 2019
Brand & Maker	Tiffany & Co. (made in Japan)
Key Features	Red ribbon wreath, holly, acorns
Collector Notes	Discontinued, replacement demand high

This is a set of “Holiday” pattern plates from Tiffany & Co. The company made this pattern from 1993 until discontinuing it in 2019, which makes them highly collectible today.

The design pattern features a wreath of red ribbon, holly leaves, pinecones, acorns, and pears on a white dish. In the previous pattern, there was a cream-colored background.

This pattern was produced in England, while the one with the white background from Japan is the common one. The backstamp reads “Tiffany & Co. Holiday Made in Japan.”

Production Period	1938 to present
Brand & Maker	Spode, England (Stoke-on-Trent)
Key Features	Santa-topped tree, green border
Collector Notes	Square plates are harder to find

Spode Christmas Tree is probably the most recognized holiday china pattern in America. Designer Harold Holdway created it in May 1938 for the U.S. market.

The factory legend has it that Harold had no idea what they put at the top of the tree, which is why the Spode Christmas tree has Father Christmas rather than an angel, fairy, or star. Also, original Spode pieces carry the impressed “SPODE Made in England” mark plus the pattern number S3324.

The square luncheon shape in this set is less common than the round plates.

Production Period	1891 to 1907
Brand & Maker	Tressemann & Vogt, Limoges, France
Key Features	Hand-painted holly, gold gilt edge
Collector Notes	Pre-1907 marks are worth most

These are the oldest antique Christmas plates on the list, from Limoges. The gold gilding of the scalloped edge and the painted holly leaves and berries against a green background are common characteristics of top-quality French porcelain of that period.

The genuine T&V ware will bear the “T&V France” green underglaze mark and possibly another “Limoges” red overglaze mark. This T&V mark was used by Tressemanes & Vogt of Limoges, France, between 1891 and 1907, making this piece the very latest in that range.

Anything stamped just “Limoges” without T&V is usually a later blank decorated elsewhere.

Production Period	1973, fourth annual issue
Brand & Maker	Franklin Mint, USA
Key Features	Solid sterling silver, 8″ diameter
Collector Notes	Has melt value plus collector value

This isn’t porcelain, it’s solid sterling silver. It’s the fourth in the annual limited edition series of solid sterling silver Christmas Plates from Franklin Mint, made in 1973. The etched design is an original work of art created by Norman Rockwell exclusively for the Franklin Mint.

Most Franklin Mint collectibles haven’t held value, but the sterling silver Rockwells are an exception because they have melt value (each plate is roughly 5-6 troy ounces of silver) on top of their collector value.

The series ran from 1970 (“Bringing Home the Tree”) through the late 1970s. Plates with their original presentation box and certificate of authenticity (COA) bring 30-40% more.

Production Period	1974 to present
Brand & Maker	Lenox, USA (originally Trenton, NJ)
Key Features	24K gold trim, ivory porcelain
Collector Notes	First-run “Made in USA” plates premium

Lenox Holiday is Lenox’s all-time bestselling pattern, first produced in 1974 out of the original Trenton, NJ factory. The holly-and-berry border with 24-karat gold trim on cream porcelain has been on American Christmas tables for 50+ years now.

The earlier “Made in USA” plates from the Trenton factory carry a premium over the newer ones produced overseas. So, always check the green Lenox backstamp with “Made in USA” lettering.

Production Period	1973 to 1987
Brand & Maker	Noritake, Japan
Key Features	Candles, bells, holly motif
Collector Notes	Discontinued, hard to replace

Noritake’s Holly pattern (2228) was produced between 1973 and 1987 and was completely discontinued thereafter. The design features red candles, gold bells, holly leaves, and pinecones with gold and green rims, along with green “Noritake / Holly / 2228 / Japan” backstamp.

Since the gold trim makes it microwave-unsafe, families who used it heavily often broke pieces, which is why replacement-buyer demand stays strong. Complete sets of 8+ pull the high end of the value range.

Production Period	1976 to 2012
Brand & Maker	Waechtersbach, Germany
Key Features	Glossy red glaze, single green tree
Collector Notes	“West Germany” mark dates pre-1990

The Christmas Tree was Waechtersbach’s most popular Christmas pattern. It was in production since 1976 and was discontinued in 2012. You can spot it by the red glaze, with just one tree featuring white candle designs, stars, and dots.

The German manufacturer dates back to 1832, and the mark could be found in either “West Germany” labels or stamps (before 1990), or “Germany” labels (after 1990). The earlier West German pieces command a small premium.

Production Period	1950s to 1960s annual issues
Brand & Maker	Shenango China, New Castle, PA
Key Features	Green-and-black Dickens scenes
Collector Notes	A complete 12-plate set is rare

Shenango China issued an annual Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol” plate series during the 1950s-60s. All plates in this series are colored in green and black on white porcelain, with a gold trim around the rim. Most were designed by R. Flading.

While individual plates are fairly inexpensive, the set of twelve plates costs $150 to $300, due to the rarity of the complete set of plates. The 1963 plate known as “Marley’s Ghost” was the last in this set.

Production Period	1970 to 1981
Brand & Maker	Haviland, Limoges, France
Key Features	Powder-blue palette, “Noel” ribbon
Collector Notes	Designed by Rémy Hétreau

This beautiful series of collectible plates by Haviland Limoges shows a scene from the 12 Days of Christmas, all signed on the back by the artist Remy Hétreau and stamped Haviland Limoges, France. They measure 8 1/2″ in diameter.

A single piece was released per year between 1970 and 1981, starting with “Partridge in a Pear Tree” and ending with “Twelve Drummers Drumming.” Individual pieces are worth about $15-$30 while a full set of 12 plates can fetch $200-$500.

Production Period	1973 to early 2000s
Brand & Maker	Avon (made by Enoch Wedgwood, England)
Key Features	22K gold trim, annual scenes
Collector Notes	First edition 1973 is most desirable.

Avon’s annual Christmas plate series started in 1973 with “Christmas On The Farm”, made exclusively for Avon Products, Inc. by Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd., England. The series continued for decades.

This was achieved through catalog sales by Avon, usually complete with original packaging, which enhances their current value. The early plates (1973-1976) are the most valuable, as the collection is relatively new and there are fewer plates.

The backstamp shows “Made Exclusively For Avon Products, Inc. by Enoch Wedgwood (Tunstall) Ltd., England.”Lots with original boxes sell for double what loose plates fetch.

Production Period	1969 to 1988 (original London series)
Brand & Maker	Wedgwood, England
Key Features	Pale blue jasperware, white relief
Collector Notes	1969 Windsor Castle most valuable

The 1969 Wedgwood Christmas plate was the first piece made by an English ceramic company for a Christian festival.

The series ran until 1988; each edition features a white Jasper bas-relief of a famous landmark on the pale blue Jasper plate, including Windsor Castle, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Tower of London, among other sites.

There was another series of the cathedral which lasted up to the early 1990s. The Wedgwood products bear the stamp of “WEDGWOOD MADE IN ENGLAND” along with the date.

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