These series Arms of the States are among the rarest and most desirable for American collectors of transferware. The inspiration for them was a large copy of the Declaration of Independence published by John Binns in Philadelphia in 1818. Encircling the text is a ceremonial chain with medallions bearing portraits of the Founding Fathers and the arms of each state.

Thomas Mayer borrowed one of the medallions for the design of South Carolina. This plate pictures a palmetto tree, which recalls the successful defense of Charleston at Fort Sullivan built of palmetto logs.