Antique and Vintage License Plates

We are a part of eBay Affiliate Network, and if you make a purchase through the links on our site we earn affiliate commission.
The movement for requiring official license plates picked up steam in the United States around the turn of the 20th century, when newspapers began reporting on the numerous injuries caused by reckless motorists. As city and state governments...
Continue reading
The movement for requiring official license plates picked up steam in the United States around the turn of the 20th century, when newspapers began reporting on the numerous injuries caused by reckless motorists. As city and state governments began implementing more rules and regulations, including speed limits, they needed a way to keep track of motorists and ensure compliance. Thus, New York became the first state to require license plates in 1901. The first license plates were made not by governments but by car owners out of metal, wood, or leather; sometimes, owners wrote the numbers directly on the vehicle. But as cars became more prevalent, governments saw the potential of official license plates as a useful revenue stream. Motorists often resisted these changes: Owning a car was a sign of high social status and wealth, but license plates threatened to make their prized cars look more like taxis. Since porcelain sign production methods were already relatively efficient and streamlined, this technique was a natural choice for license plates. Stamped metal plates were just around the corner, but porcelain remained popular until about 1916. Porcelain plates were usually made of iron or ceramic and covered with porcelain enamel. In 1903, Massachusetts became the first state to issue official porcelain license plates. The very first was issued to Frederick Tudor and bore the number “1.” As the license numbers grew, Massachusetts plates became wider to accommodate the extra digits. Unlike later Massachusetts plates, these were undated. Philadelphia produced the first dated porcelain license plate later that same year. By 1909, porcelain plates had spread throughout the Northeast and were slowly moving south and west, with 12 states and 20 cities and counties issuing official porcelain plates. In 1910, Michigan introduced the first non-passenger porcelain plates; these plates were for motorcycles and motorcycle manufacturers. By 1916, however, all but...
Continue reading

Best of the Web

Plateshack.com
This massive site (14,000-plus plates) is a great starting point for seeing a wide range of...
The Bolthole
Nick DiFonzo's collection and history of Texas plates. There are lots of license plate sites,...
License Plates of the World
See the world one license plate at a time with Michael Kustermann’s amazing collection of...
Hemmings Auto Blogs
This great (and frequently updated) blog from the folks at Hemmings Motor News is a visual feast...
Jim Moini's License Plate Site
Jim Moini's license plate site showcases a great collection of plates from the early 1900s to...
PorcelainPlates.net
Porcelain plates are a small but important part of the vintage license plate collecting hobby,...
Most Watched

Best of the Web

Plateshack.com
This massive site (14,000-plus plates) is a great starting point for seeing a wide range of...
The Bolthole
Nick DiFonzo's collection and history of Texas plates. There are lots of license plate sites,...
License Plates of the World
See the world one license plate at a time with Michael Kustermann’s amazing collection of...
Hemmings Auto Blogs
This great (and frequently updated) blog from the folks at Hemmings Motor News is a visual feast...
Jim Moini's License Plate Site
Jim Moini's license plate site showcases a great collection of plates from the early 1900s to...
PorcelainPlates.net
Porcelain plates are a small but important part of the vintage license plate collecting hobby,...