ABC Plate Collecting

Early ABC plates were mainly children's dishes imported into the United States from dish manufacturers in England. The greatest ABC plate popularity occurred between the years 1780 and 1860. The later pieces were considered Staffordshire ware.

Alphabet plates are still currently being made.

ABC Collector Plates were made mainly of:

Glass

Pewter: Pewter is a metal that is comprised mostly of tin but does have small amounts of antimony, bismuth, copper and lead. These additional elements allowed the manufacturer a greatly degree of ease when shaping the products. Not only did England manufacture these plates but also they were the main provider of pewter for almost 150 years.

Pottery

Tin: Tin is rust resistant and non-toxic and was safely used for storing and serving foods.

Porcelain

Plates can range in size but in diameter size they are usually from around 4 inches to over 9 ½ inches. The rims of the plates would normally contain alphabets or numbers but could also be adorned with animals or nursery rhymes and were used as a method of teaching the poor inexpensively.

Current collectors tend to gravitate towards certain plate embellishments: animals, birds, sports, or lettered plates. There is a wide variety of plate themes, so it should be easy for a collector to hone in on a particular subject.

ABC Plates & Mugs Identification and Value Guide: Identification and Value Guide (Hardcover) $18.96

Plates: Mary Engelbreit (Hardcover)

ABC Plate Collector Resources

ABC PLATE AESOPS FABLES THE SHEPHERD'S BOY Staffordshire England, circa 1850 sale price $340

PET RABBIT Brownhills Pottery Company. Staffordshire England circa 1880 sale price $425

Dr. FRANKLIN'S MAXIM'S ~ WANT OF KNOWLEDGE Staffordshire England circa 1840

The plate reads, " Want of care does us more damage than want of knowledge. For want of a nail the shoe was lost, and for want of a shoe the horse was lost. " sale price $149

IN A SOFT PLACE Staffordshire England ~ circa 1880

Sale price $298

FRANKLIN'S PROVERBS ROLLING STONE J. & G. MEAKIN POTTERIES ~ Staffordshire England ~ circa. 1850 sale price $149

"This is Jack's Birthday" Embossed Border

"He is idle who might be better employed."

Glass ABC Plate Value Estimates:

Dog in center, clear plate $110

Elephant with three waving brownies $135

Girl with bee on cheek $125

Pottery or Porcelain ABC Plate Value Estimates:

Brighton Beach $145

Gathering Cotton $425

Horses for hire or sale $145

Old Mother Hubbard $200

Tin ABC Plate Value Estimates:

Who Killed the Cock Robin $120

Mary Had a Little Lamb $115