LOT # 232
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L232 ANTIQUE 1915 PENNSYLVANIA WHITE ON BLUE PORCELAIN LICENSE PLATE
Item Description
We are pleased to offer this Antique 1915 Pennsylvania Prison Made License Plate in White on Medium Blue Porcelain on Iron. Pennsylvania state-issued license plates were first issued in 1906. Serial numbers were all-numeric and started from 1, but even in the first year, registrations exceeded 10,000. By law, the serial number digits were 5 inches tall; the plates themselves were 6 1/2 inches high. The plate width varied based on the number of digits. These plates bore the state abbreviation Penna and the four-digit year, as did all Pennsylvania passenger car plates through 1957. These elements were placed along the top of the plate, except for plates with one- or two-digit serials, on which they were placed to the right of the serial number. These plates were made of iron coated with porcelain. The porcelain coating preserved the iron well and retained its shine. Beginning in 1910, Pennsylvania license plates were assigned to the vehicle rather than the driver. To drive home that point, a metal tab in the shape of a keystone was rivited to the license plate; stamped on the tab were the words Not Transferable at the top and Makers Number [sic] at the bottom. Engraved on the center of the tab was the “maker’s number”, or the vehicle serial number, better known today as the VIN number. The keystone tab was attached to the left side of the plate; above it was the Penna state abbreviation, and below it was the four-digit year. Plate height was reduced to 6 inches since the state name and year were no longer above the serial number; since then, Pennsylvania plates have more or less remained 6 inches high through the present day. Plate widths continued to vary based on the number of digits in the all-numeric serial number.
Research Consulted: Rick Kretschmer’s License Plate Archives
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Retail Value Estimate: $75-$100
Condition: rust & paint loss Weight: 10oz
Measurements (LxWxH): 8.75 inches x .25 inches x 4.5 inches
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