Have you recently found a Franklin Mint plate and want to know what it could be worth? Do you have a collector’s plate but have no idea if it is a genuine Franklin Mint, another brand, or a reproduction?
This article aims to educate you on identifying Franklin Mint plates, what they could be worth, and where to buy them, as well as discovering other brands of collector plates available on the market.
Table of Contents
History of Franklin Mint
According to the official website for the Franklin Mint, the company was established in 1964 in the United States by Joseph Segel, and manufactured collector’s items such as old and rare coins, decorations, jewellery, figurines, and porcelain objects such as plates and dolls.
The idea for the company began after Segel realised how popular silver coins that were due to come out of circulation became, and he wanted to build a business that sold items belonging to a period of history.
The first items ever manufactured included casino tokens, foreign currency, commemorative medallions, and ingots made of silver and other precious metals.
He was one of the initial entrepreneurs that specialised in collector’s items and helped create the niche that would become very popular in the years that followed. The Franklin Mint was a private company and advertised its wares in magazines.
However, a lot of the items that were marketed as ‘limited edition’ weren’t limited at all. This is because a single run would produce thousands of the same item before the moulds used to make it were destroyed.
The first collector’s plate made by the company was based on a famous painting by Norman Rockwell called ‘Bringing Home the Tree’ and was released in 1976. This was then followed by a myriad of different plates depicting different people, animals, and events.
Their website was relaunched in October 2020 after the company was bought by Retail Ecommerce Ventures and allows customers to order directly from them and get their chosen collector’s items shipped to their door.
Nowadays, the company specialises in limited edition products made of sterling silver that commemorate special events in American history or depict national symbols. They also offer various memorabilia, gift ideas, art, jewellery, currency, and antiques, among other items.
How to Identify Franklin Mint Collector Plates
Identifying a genuine Franklin Mint collector plate can be achieved mainly by looking for the certificate of authenticity issued with each plate, and studying the design printed onto the surface of the plate.
Certificates of authenticity should include authorisation from the artists and organisations who designed and backed the project, signatures, a unique coloured border around the document, and a gold ‘Franklin Mint Limited’ stamp.
Furthermore, the gold stamp advertises that the plate is a Franklin Mint heirloom, so the collectible plates have been recommended to be kept and passed down to future generations by the company.
Plates should also have a plate number printed on the underside, as well as the signature of the artist.
The design of the plate should fall under one of the following categories:
- Animals
- Seasons
- Holidays
- Celebrities
- Historical Events
- Disney
- Historical Figures
- Sports
- Angels
- Fairies
- Fruit and Vegetables
- Flowers
- Mythical Creatures
- Vehicles
- TV and Film
- Religion
- Patriotism
A video showing some genuine cat-themed Franklin Mint plates can be found here.
If the plate has a certificate of authenticity, a plate number, and the design matches one of the above categories, it is almost definitely a genuine Franklin Mint collectible. You could contact the company directly for more information on your plate via their website.
The value of these plates varies dramatically depending on whether they are rare collectibles, what design they have, and the material they are made of. Many are worth less than their original retail price, whilst others have sold for much more.
Examples of rare and valuable Franklin Mint plates
Princess Diana
Sterling silver Aubadon bird plates
Sterling silver USA Bicentennial plates
Star Trek collector’s plates
Silver inauguration plate for Nixon
These plates were sold both separately and as sets between $185-$700, but the usual value for a Franklin Mint plate would be around $20 or even less. It also depends on whether the plate is in mint condition, excellent condition, or good condition.
Valuable Collector Plates
Franklin Mint plates are not the only popular collector’s plates on the market. There are several brands that manufacture these plates, and some have a resale value that is much higher than their original price.
Below are seven different brands that have produced valuable collector’s plates, as per Antiques Love to Know:
Bing & Grondahl
Bing & Grondahl produced the first ever Christmas-themed collectible plate in 1890. It depicted the Copenhagen skyline and only 400 copies of it were made.
First editions of this plate have sold for over $2500, whereas later editions and plates in a less than ideal condition can sell for around $100. Currently, the company sells three collectible plates, all with a unique blue and white design.
Royal Copenhagen
Another company known for its Christmas collector plates is Royal Copenhagen. They too feature a blue and white colour palette, but they work with different artists to produce unique designs.
The value of these plates varies but a standard plate in good to excellent condition will fetch between $50-$80. A rare plate from 1908 called ‘Madonna and Child’ is currently on the market for over $2000.
Wedgewood
Wedgewood is an iconic brand that produces fine China sets as well as collector’s plates. Their plates are recognisable thanks to their striking blue hue and unique patterns printed on the porcelain.
Wedgewood plates aren’t seen as very valuable, instead of being popular for decorative purposes, but a set of plates once sold for $150 on eBay. Otherwise, a single common plate can sell for a paltry two dollars.
Lena Liu
Lena Liu is an independent artist who creates beautiful designs for various objects, including collector’s plates. Her work is popular amongst art enthusiasts, and she has won awards for her plate designs.
Right now, two of her plates are being sold for $110 each online. Both are a part of her Hummingbird Treasury Collection. Her art tends to cost more because it isn’t mass produced and is truly limited edition.
DeGrazia
Ted DeGrazia is another independent artist who designs collector’s plates. The first plate was released in 1976 and has one of his most famous paintings – Los Ninos, Children of the World – printed on it.
There were only 5000 plates issued and they sell for around $1000 each depending on condition. There were also a set of miniature plates with the same design released a few years later, and these sell for about the same.
Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton is another household name and has produced many different collector’s plates (amongst other items) since the early 20th century. They added ‘royal’ to their name after receiving the approval of King Edward VII in 1901.
Many of their plates are common and not of much interest to avid collectors, so they have a value of around $2-$10 depending on the era they were made. However, a rare plate from the 1920s with a fish design had an appraisal estimate of $220-$300.
Bradford Exchange
The Bradford Exchange is a name recognised all over the world. The company has produced several different sets of plates over the last few decades, and they are popular amongst collectors and pottery lovers alike.
Despite this popularity, the plates themselves aren’t worth much, with some being sold for as little as a single dollar!
Conclusion
In summary, to identify a Franklin Mint collector’s plate, you must look for the following:
- Study the design of the plate and see if it falls into one of the listed categories.
- Turn the plate over and look for the unique plate number, as well as the signature from the artist behind the design and title given to the plate.
- Check to see if there is a certificate of authenticity with the plate and check it against a picture of a verified one to ensure it isn’t a forgery.
- Look at the border pattern and colour on the certificate in particular, as well as the formatting, and make sure it matches up to the genuine certificate.
- Finally, if you are still unsure, you can contact the Franklin Mint directly via their website, which has contact details listed.
If you have any queries or remarks, please leave them in the comments box below and we will endeavour to answer you as quickly as possible.
There was no info, other than a photo, included on the following, like weight in silver.
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Sterling Silver USA Bicentennial Plates