Royal Copenhagen Plates
Royal Copenhagen is by far the most known Danish producer of plates. Even though Bing & Grondahl was the first producer to make Christmas plates, it is the Royal Copenhagen Christmas plates that are most known. This is especially true abroad, where Royal Copenhagen is almost synonymous with Danish plates to a degree, where many believe that the plates from Bing & Grondahl are Royal Copenhagen plates, too.
The Royal Copenhagen series of Christmas plates began in 1908 with the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. It was issued 13 years after the first Christmas plate from Bing & Grondahl. However Royal Copenhagen have consistently issued a new plate every year up until today. This has continued through the good and the bad times and even during the occupation, when a plate was produced every year even though there were shortages.
The production was limited during the war, however, which means that these plates are more rare and difficult to acquire. Therefore they are the most expensive plates after the first ones, which were also produced in limited quantity.
An area, where Royal Copenhagen has made its mark, is by its large production of memorial plates for specific occasions. The production of ordered plates for different occasions has been very large and there are many rare plates in this category. Royal Copenhagen has been chosen for this type of production and due to its close ties with the royal house, Royal Copenhagen has produced a large number of plates dedicated to events in the royal house.
A very special series is the Royal Copenhagen brewery plates made on occasion of the centenary J. C. Jacobsen for Carlsberg in 1911. These plates show buildings that have relation to J. C. Jacobsen and his activities both as a brewer and patron.
Like with the Christmas plates Royal Copenhagen tried to follow the success of Bing & Grondahl with the mother's day plates, but never achieved the same continuity in design and issuing as Bing & Grondahl. Royal Copenhagen thus ended its production of mother's day plates, but did issued three sets of Royal Copenhagen mother's day plates with unique expressions.
Furthermore Royal Copenhagen has issued a large number of different plate series with varied expressions. Among others can be mentioned Storm P. plates, fairytale plates and Copenhagen portraits.
The Christmas plates from Royal Copenhagen are among the most sought after abroad and many of the rare plates are sought after collectibles.
Furthermore Royal Copenhagen has issued many beautiful reliefs and bisquit plates with motifs from the works of the sculptor Thorvaldsen.
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