Rare and unusual set of 12 antique plates, origin and maker unknown, and believe me, I have done a lot of research on these! The only marks on the back are a hand-incised “69 A” and a crosshatch mark on a few. My educated guess is that these are either French or German and made to order for a royal or noble-born family, based on the calligraphic monogram on all the plates. The monogram looks to me like “VP” but I will let you be the judge. They have pin marks on the back with prominent feet, so they probably date to the late 19th century. These plates measure 8 1/2″ in diameter so are appropriately called “luncheon plates. They have a gold symbol/ crest in the center of the white floor. The flange is a creamy yellow color and on top of that are gold and white embossed feathery designs, with a thin gold edge and verge. The monogram is at 12:00 at the top of the plates. This is mostly in the center crest and around the verge/ trim. But the monograms have held up well, and there are no other chips or cracks, so these were well-cared for and have a great sense of history. They came from a fine historical estate on the Gold Coast of Long Island. Please feel free to ask any questions or provide any knowledge about these plates if you might be able to help!
