(2) Danish Bing & Grøndahl Porcelain Plates Celebrating United States Bicentennial. The richly glazed blue and white plates have an eagle in the middle with the words "E Pluribus Unum" in gold print above, surrounded by sunburst patterns and gold stars. Around the edges are oval shapes, with gold words in each naming the original 13 colonies: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Below the eagle is a shield shape, and below that in gold are 1776 and 1976. On the back, in the same gold paint, is the logo of the company, along with a long explanation: "The Bicentennial Plate 1776-1976. This is a special edition produced to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States of America. A blue artist's signature is below these words. 

Condition: One has a triangular hanging hook passed through small holes in the top underside edge, the other is missing the hook. 

Size: 9 x 9 in. 

Founded in 1853 by sculptor Frederik Vilhelm Grøndahl and merchant brothers Meyer and Jacob Bing, Bing & Grøndahl was a prominent Danish porcelain manufacturer located in Copenhagen. Stamped with a trademark logo featuring three towers from Copenhagen’s coat of arms, the company initially produced neoclassical biscuit porcelain figurines before expanding into fine tableware. In 1892 designer Fanny Garde created the iconic “Seagull” pattern, which became so ubiquitous by the mid 20th Century that it was dubbed the “National Service of Denmark.” The firm achieved further collector renown starting in 1895 with the release of its annual cobalt-blue-and-white Christmas plate series, which remained in continuous production for over a century. Beyond commercial lines the company produced award-winning works like Gertrud Vasegaard’s 1956 tea service, which was later recognized as a masterpiece in the Danish Culture Canon. In 1987 Bing & Grøndahl merged with its main rival, the Royal Porcelain Factory, to form Royal Copenhagen. 

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