If you have any north american or south american license plate you would like to sell please contact me.
I buy individual plates or complete collections as well.
I also sell plates here:
I am a license plate collector as well.
I started in the early 1990`s. I was fascinated with american cars and the history of motoring.
I thought US license plates are the coolest thing in the world, the possibility of geolocate and decipher the numbering system just kept me entertained for the last 25 years.
I collect predominantly North American and South American plates before 1960.
There are two states in the US which I am more interested than others.
New Mexico
Arizona
Currently working on the following "runs":
1936 Arizona county run,
Need Apache,Greenlee counties
Florida 86 base county run,
1948 US states run,
Tribal plates only embossed.
I also will add interesting things about certain years or states
A little bit of know how about license plates:
Some states are harder to get than others, there are three reasons for this:
1. Population
The less population the state has the less cars around, less plates issued.
Low population states:
Alaska
Vermont
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
New Mexico
Arizona etc.
2. Weather
The more humid air is less friendly with metal.
Coastal states in the subtropical region are also hard to find pre 1960 plates.
Also "Tiger" Joe Sallmen had a very good explanation why southern states are hard to get.
Southern states generally did not built as many houses with basements and garages than in the north, so stashing away goodies were less likely.
Florida
Alabama
South Carolina
Louisiana
3. State laws
Some states issuing license plates for the owner not the car, so when they sell the car the plate goes to the next car.
Some states require the plate to be returned after the car sold.
Other factors.:
Sometimes someone finds the stash of plates in the US (DMV offices had surplus plates but never got issued)and they flood the market with them. Oklahoma 70`s and Colorado 70`s for example.
Lots of collectors or pickers living in a particular state.One example is Kansas which would not be an easy state to get but plenty of collectors there.
Some states are harder to get than others, there are three reasons for this:
1. Population
The less population the state has the less cars around, less plates issued.
Low population states:
Alaska
Vermont
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
New Mexico
Arizona etc.
2. Weather
The more humid air is less friendly with metal.
Coastal states in the subtropical region are also hard to find pre 1960 plates.
Also "Tiger" Joe Sallmen had a very good explanation why southern states are hard to get.
Southern states generally did not built as many houses with basements and garages than in the north, so stashing away goodies were less likely.
Florida
Alabama
South Carolina
Louisiana
3. State laws
Some states issuing license plates for the owner not the car, so when they sell the car the plate goes to the next car.
Some states require the plate to be returned after the car sold.
Other factors.:
Sometimes someone finds the stash of plates in the US (DMV offices had surplus plates but never got issued)and they flood the market with them. Oklahoma 70`s and Colorado 70`s for example.
Lots of collectors or pickers living in a particular state.One example is Kansas which would not be an easy state to get but plenty of collectors there.
1.
1925-26 North Dakota Ford license plates
The "F" stands for Ford.
Ford outsold 5 times all the GM brands in 1921.
The state started in 1921 assigning numbers to Fords (see below).
There were complains about hard to read high numbers, so in 1925 and 1926 Fords got the "F" prefix all others no prefix.
1927 the system was abolished.
1921 Birmarck tribune:
1925-26 North Dakota Ford license plates
The "F" stands for Ford.
Ford outsold 5 times all the GM brands in 1921.
The state started in 1921 assigning numbers to Fords (see below).
There were complains about hard to read high numbers, so in 1925 and 1926 Fords got the "F" prefix all others no prefix.
1927 the system was abolished.
1921 Birmarck tribune:
2.
1918-19 Kansas license plate
The first couple of years of Kansas license plates were undated.
You can tell them apart easily by the shape of "KAN",the location of it and the color combination of it.
I personally came across where the original paint is gone.Then you are in trouble between 1917 and 20 and 1918 and 1919.
Thanks to a fellow collector they are slightly different.
1918:
1919:
1917:
1920
3.
The "busiest" license plate issued in the US
This is a unconfirmed information but probably correct.
The Minnesota private trailer plate:
The "busiest" license plate issued in the US
This is a unconfirmed information but probably correct.
The Minnesota private trailer plate:
4.
1937 Pennsylvania Fuel license plate
According to Eric Tanner these plates were actually mounted on fuel pumps at service stations however
there are no known pictures of it.
It has six holes which is unusual for a license plate.
Penn state is known for issuing fuel permits but most of them exist from much later.
The P or O probably stands for Petrol or Oil.
This type only existed in 1937 and 38
1937 Pennsylvania Fuel license plate
According to Eric Tanner these plates were actually mounted on fuel pumps at service stations however
there are no known pictures of it.
It has six holes which is unusual for a license plate.
Penn state is known for issuing fuel permits but most of them exist from much later.
The P or O probably stands for Petrol or Oil.
This type only existed in 1937 and 38
1963 Venetian way, Florida license plate
This type of plate is called "bridge plate" used only three locations in Florida.
My understanding is they were used by commuters as early as in the 1940`s to cross the bridge or use the causeway. They were valid for one year.
1. Venetian Way causeway between Miami and Miami Beach.
2. Jacksonville bridge in Duval county.
3. Rickenbacker causeway between Miami and Key Biscayne.
