Rare set of 3 collectible china cups from the First National City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. This bank changed name several times and became what we now know as "Citibank" in the 1970s. This line of china was made by Spode expressly for the bank in its elegant "Knightsbridge" pattern, and it bears the "First National City Bank New York" logo in gold. The use of this logo and the Spode mark on the back makes it easy to date this china to the 1960s-70s, and it was likely used in the bank's boardroom or executive dining room at its corporate headquarters in NYC.

These footed cups are the pear-shaped style Y5783 in the Knightsbridge pattern, and measure 3 1/4" in diameter across the opening and 2 3/4" tall. They have the Knightsbridge band of cobalt blue with thin gold trim and gold filigree around the edge, on a pure white ground, and the gold First National Bank logo in the front. All 3 cups are in excellent condition with no chips or cracks and minimal wear to the decoration, if any.

I have other pieces from this Spode/ First National Bank china collection under separate listings, all from a Gold Coast estate here on Long Island, so someone in the family may have worked at the bank during this period. These are rare and unique collectibles from a long-gone era of corporate banking!