Lovely china plates made by Mintons (Minton) in England being sold as a group. There are 4 matching small plates, bread & butter plate size (bread butter plate), round measuring 6 1/8 inch in diameter. Basically flat plates with a slightly lower central section, sitting 3/4 inch in height. All of these plates came out of the same home where they were said to have belonged an older relative. These china plates are porcelain (they are translucent).

Fully marked on reverse side with Mintons globe & crown mark within 2 laurel wreaths and the word "England" for country of manufacture beneath. From some internet research, this mark was used by Minton from 1912-1950, with the word England inclusion said to show they would have been made in the earlier time frame. However, on some of the plates we can make out an impressed mark that to us looks like a badminton birdie (the item one hits with a racket when playing badminton). Our research identified this impressed mark as having been used by Mintons in 1931, so we believe that to be the date/age of these plates. On each plate hand-painted is "B917" which we believe to be the pattern number (there is no pattern name indicated on these bread & butter plates). Three of the plates also have another small printed symbol (a half circle with a line or third prong in the middle) which we couldn't identify or find out what this indicates.

This Mintons B917 pattern uses a white base china with a transferred design and hand painted décor. They have a delicate multi-floral design that includes some pink roses and other flowers in purple, pink, yellow, red and blue with green leaves. There is a geometric lattice type design near the outer edge painted in turquoise, blue and yellow, with two interrupting sets of designs including turquoise scrolls, pink flowers with yellow centers, and geometric details. Below these are two sets of multi-color floral swags and a pretty multi-color flower grouping at the center of the plates. The outer edge is trimmed with a deep yellow or mustard type color. The hand-applied coloring does create a bumpy feel on the topside of the plate where applied.

We've provided 8 images to show in groups, front and back sides, and close-ups of the backside markings and of the design. Please note that the camera lighting creates white "hot spot" reflections on the glossy surfaces. Please use the zoom feature to examine closely.

Wonderful condition . There are no major chips, cracks or crazing. While these plates do show a bit of use wear or age, they don't show the kind of wear we would expect for china of this age, so we don't believe they were often used. If you hold each plate at an angle in bright light you can see a few scratch lines on the topside surfaces of varied sizes, but nothing bad at all and nothing you would see with these plates on display or sitting on a table. On the topsides there are some stray dots of color, some pin/pit/dark dots, but nothing bad at all. On the backsides you can see a few scratches (again, when held at an angle in bright light) and some wear dots (dark or yellow), etc.. Along the underside base rim on which each plate sits, you see the most evidence of age/wear as to be expected, via some darkening or yellow/orange staining on this rim and a few tiny flakes, indentations or very low tiny surface chips just on this underside base rim. There's really nothing to worry about here, but we are being very picky so that we fully describe these.

Attractive plates that could be added and used with any set of the Mintons B917 china. But these are also just a wonderful small pretty size that would add elegance by themselves if used for serving canapés , hors d'oeuvres or after dinner chocolates or mints.