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The Holland America Line Collectors Reference Library
Commemorative Plates




NOTE:  8/16/2013 -Added WORLD VOYAGE, so now it and EARLIEST and INAUGURAL are working.

Before we dig into the history of the Holland America Line plates, I would like to thank a specific group of collectors for their contributions to this page, without whom the site would not have been possible. They are in alphabetical order: B. Bemboom, M. Lafleur, P. Plunkett, A. Schoonderbeek and M. Visser.

The earliest known plate associated with the Holland America Line is from the turn of the 20-th century. It is unknown if this plate was made under orders of the Line or not and we currently have no knowledge of quantities in existence or where this plate could be obtained.  The next plate we are aware of is the 1927 Statendam plate associated with an insurance company and the 1938 inaugural plate of the Nieuw Amsterdam that was sold by the "Bijenkorf" and manufactured by Zenith from Gouda, the Netherlands. Over the years several manufacturers have contributed to the plates of the Line, but Royal Goedewaagen has been the main contributor. Whenever known, we will list the manufacturer of the plate with the image.

After the issue of a beautiful ss Rotterdam 1959 Maiden Voyage plate, the plates as a regular relationship gift really started taking off in 1961 when the Holland America Line presented the passengers of the World Voyage on the ss Rotterdam with a farewell menu in the form of a ceramic plate. This became a tradition until 1967 when it was sadly discontinued. World Voyage plates have been issued for each World Voyage since 1961. Following on the great success of these plates, the Line started issueing plates on the Inaugural voyage of their new ships and as special gifts on special voyages such as Mariner and Grand Circel and special occasion such as Christmas Holiday plates..

The popularity of the Holland America Line plates did not go unnoticed and private companies and travel agencies started to issue similar plates with Holland America Line ships for special voyages or awards.

Holland America Line plates are a very desirable collectible and thousands of collectors around the world are totally immersed in their quest for the missing treasure. Plate collecting is still a very affordable hobby and the "common" plates can be had for less than $10. The rarest plates are those made in very small quantities, such as the 1938 inaugural plate, the 1900 milk glas plate and most of the limited special voyage plates and some can demand a very high premium.

To see the plates currently known to us, select a choice from the selection from the menu at the top of this page and start to enjoy your journey through the world of Holland America Line plate collecting, 

If you posess any plates not shown on this site, please contact us at tiemen @ halpostcards . com and we will be happy to add your contribution with credit to this site.
Tiemen T. Spits.

Copyright Tiemen Spits 1999-2013