US PLATES

Most plates here are what I call "ten-dollar plates" of no great interest, but there are a couple of gems as well..
This collection is simply a self-indulgence, shared here with you.

This run is intended to show some of the attractive graphic plates that began to be issued in the 1980's. "Graphic" implies that there is some sort of picture as well as the basic identification and slogan, but it also might refer to such things as multicolours or shaded backgrounds. I have a particular dislike for flat (screen-printed) serials and therefore this run includes only embossed or debossed plates, with the exception of Delaware, which went directly from the unusual riveted type to flat-screened, and therefore it is impossible to include a modern embossed plate. Many states have issued over time a variety of graphic designs. I chose whatever I liked and was available, and for the most part avoided specialty plates. Other than that I am choosing to go for the graphic design that I like and could obtain. In some cases there are more than one for a particular state, based simply on my likes. You will see also a very few older plates with no graphics, just because I happen to particularly like them or had them on hand from my father's collection.

This collection also includes the populated US overseas territories including the defunct (Panama) Canal Zone,
and the leased Guantanamo Bay territory. For the territories there are in some cases both modern and historic plates.

Note that I am not including plates used in other countries by US Forces, though I do have or have had plates of this sort.

State or Territory	Plate and/or comments
ALABAMA	This base plate was issued from 2002 to 2008. The leading digits (before the A) indicate the county of issue, with 23 indicating Covington County. This was the last embossed passenger plate base in Alabama.
ALASKA When I was born, Alaska was a territory of the United States. It was admitted as the 49th state in January of 1959, just before Hawaii.	1966-67 base plate. This is a sample.	1981-1997 base plate. Note that this style was resurrected later. This base and all later ones still remain valid today. BAA100 to CZZ999 and DFA100 to DJX999
	1997-2004 base plate. DJY100 to ERT999	2008-2009 base plate. Serials FGF100 to FUW999. This particular plate was purchased from the Nova Scotia owners of a minibus that operated in Alaska with European tourists.
ARIZONA	This Desert-scape graphic design has been used since 1996. The first version, shown here, had embossed serials in the format 123ABC, replaced in 2008 with screen printed serials and an ABC1234 format.
ARKANSAS	2006 to 2021 base plate. From 2021 the same plate is used but the letters precede the numbers.
CALIFORNIA	1963 to 1969 base plate. This is the oldest type still valid today.	2012 to present base plate. The previous type, similar but without the bottom legend, was issued from 2000 to 2012.
COLORADO	1982 to 1992 type, still valid today. The letters indicate the county, in this case GAP is for Jefferson County.
CONNECTICUT	2000-2013 base plate. Lack of a sticker indicates that this was issued in the era of windshield stickers..
DELAWARE	All plates issued since 1942 remain authorized to be used. Plates issued from 1947 to 1969 had riveted serials, a Delaware oddity. The plate shown above is from the 1958 to 1962 series and is a Pleasure Commercial plate, for use on a station wagon or SUV.	Plates from 1969 onwards have screen-printed (flat) serials. thus there are no modern embossed plates. This plate is from the 1969 to 1988 series.
FLORIDA	This plate is from the 2000 to 2003 series. Plates issued in Miami-Dade County say "Sunshine State". Others indicate the county of issue. Plates issued later than 2003 are similar except for different type of serial, and "Florida" replaced by "My Florida". From 2008 onwards, registrantsmay obtain alternative bottom slogan "In God We Trust". Florida also has an abundance of specialty plates.
GEORGIA	The "Georgia on my mind" type was issued from 2000 to 2003. With the CL suffix, this is thought to be a commercial plate. Passenger plates did have this serial type (among others) but only in the range QA to YZ.	This specialty type was issued 1993 to 1996, and valid up to 1997.
HAWAII When I was born, Hawaii was a territory of the United States. It was admitted as the 50th state in August of 1959, just after Alaska.	This is the 1981 to 1990 base plate. Since then the Rainbow plate has been issued. The A in the serial above indicates Honolulu County.
IDAHO	This is the 1997 to 2008 base plate, the last one with an embossed serial. The "N" indicates it was issued in Nez Perce County. The previous base was similar but with a larger red area and a tall tree on the far right. The next base is the same as the one shown, except that the serial is screen printed.
ILLINOIS	This is the 1984 to 1996 base plate, with the original serial format. It was replaced by a different graphic plate featuring Abraham Lincoln.
INDIANA	This is the 1993 to 1998 base plate. The "71" prefix indicates Saint Joseph County. Early examples would have a county name sticker at bottom right. Indiana has had a variety of graphic plates, both before and after this one.
IOWA	This is the 1997/98 type with embossed serial and county name on a sticker. That same year one county had flat serial plates as an experiment. Following that there was one last state-wide run with embossed serials but with screen printed county names. After that, all passenger plates were lfat.
KANSAS	This is the 1988 to 1990 base plate. In 1990 the Kansas name had its font revised somewhat to make it more readable. The large county sticker (EL for Ellis) on this plate is typical of the latter series and appears to have been applied over the earlier small type. Kansas had two other graphic types before this one, and two since.
KENTUCKY	This is a specialty plate that I liked. There have been several standard issue base plate series since 1988.
LOUISIANA	This the current base plate series as of 2023. It was introduced in 2005 with an ABC123 format. This type 123ABC began in May of 2016.
MAINE	This base plate series began in 1999 and is scheduled to be replaced in 2024. This series was preceded by the Lobster series.
MARYLAND	This plate is in the 1986 to 2004 series. Other series with some changes from this one issued to 2010, then replaced with War of 1812 series.
MASSACHUSETTS	This base began in 1993 and is still being issued currently, with only the serial format changing. The preceding non-graphic green on white series is still valid for registration.
MICHIGAN	This is an example of the 2007 base, valid until 2021, and overlapping with later base types. The buildings shown are a collage from Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids and Lansing.
MINNESOTA	This is the 1978 to 1982 base. The subsequent base was similar except that there is an embossed state shape as a separator.
MISSISSIPPI	This is the 1998 to 2003 base plate. Each county had its name embossed. There have been four subsequent graphic base series.
MISSOURI	This plate is from the 1997 to 2008 series. First letter corresponds to month of expiration. There have been two subsequent graphic plate series.
MONTANA	This plate is from the 1991 to 2000 series. The 6 prefix indicates a Gallatin County issue. This type with some changes was reintroduced in 2010, and at present registrants can use from five different base plates.
NEBRASKA	This is from the 1996 to 1998 base series. The series immediately before and after were similar but with different serial colours. This plate was issued in Hall County as indicated by the "8" prefix.
NEVADA	This plate is from the current series introduced in 2016. This series replaced the Silver State series that was introduced in 1984 and had several varieties.
NEW HAMPSHIRE	This plate is from the 1999 series that is still issued today, with some variations. The fact that the Old Man of the Mountain is to right of centre indicates that this is a fairly early issue in the series.
NEW JERSEY	This plate is from the 2010 to 2014 base series. It differs from the preceding series due to the security threads going down the middle. The subsequent series has screened serials.	This plate is from the 1977 to 1978 series. This is a sample plate. The actual governor plate would have the number 1, and likely with state seals to the left and right.
NEW MEXICO	Current Standard base type,1999 to present. This series began with 001 MAA. An alternative base plate issued 1999 to 2010. This particular serial is one of the last in the series. Alternative series commencing 2017 and still being issued. Started with AAAA01.
NEW YORK	This plate is an example of the 2010 to 2020 series. There were two other graphic designs prior to this one, and subsequently there is the Excelsior design currently being issued.
NORTH CAROLINA	This series, with a few variations, has been issued since 1982. This particular format with three letters and four numbers commenced in 1985. Since 2014 there have been somewhat similar "First in Freedom" and "In God We Trust" alternatives available.
NORTH DAKOTA	This plate is from the 1989 to 1992 Centennial issue. There have been two subsequent base plate issues.
OHIO	This plate was a gift from a co-worker, found in an antique shop in Nova Scotia This is referred to as the "Ohio Pride" series, being issued from 2013 to 2021. This is the last embossed series for Ohio, having been superseded by the screen-printed "Sunrise in Ohio" series in late 2021.
OKLAHOMA	This is the 1994 to 2008 base plate. This was the last embossed serial series.
OREGON	This plate is from the 1989 to present series of base plates. Due to having the numbers before the letters, this is a 2004 or later plate.
PENNSYLVANIA	This plate is from the 2004 to 2017 series. It was replaced by a similar plate, current today, that replaced the sticker area with a small map of the state, due to stickers being discontinued.
RHODE ISLAND	This plate is from the long duration (1996 to 2023) Wave Plate series, replaced in 2023 with the Ocean Plate series.
SOUTH CAROLINA	This plate is from the 1998 to 2007 Green Tree series, the last embossed base plate for South Carolina. The next series is the same except has screen printed serials. There have been two different graphic series since then.
SOUTH DAKOTA	This plate is from the 1990 to 1995 series. There were two further embossed series before the state went to screened serials in 2003. The 62 prefix indicates that this plate is from the very lightly populated Walworth County.
TENNESSEE	This plate is from the 1983 to 1986 base series. There have been several different graphic series since then. This plate is from Davidson County (prefix 2)
TEXAS	This plate is from the 2000 to 2004 base series that continued on with some minor variations to 2009. There have been two different series since this one ended.
UTAH (This state is of special interest, with several plates in the collection as a family member is from Utah)	Not a modern graphic plate, but certainly one that I like due to its distinctive colour. Purportedly the highest serial produced was FD5000, so this mint example near the upper limit may not have been issued. All Utah plates issued since 1973 remain valid for registration. "Ski Utah!" was introduced in 1985 and was a standard issue until discontinued in 2008 and replaced by the optional (at first) red top ski plate. The "Arches" theme plate was introduced in 1992 as an extra cost special to commemorate the state centennial in 1996. This plate commenced with nnnZAA and progressed to nnnZZZ then back to nnnYAA and so on. This plate without a sticker was likely issued in 1992 or 1993. The very earliest issues had the state name in outline form rather than the solid form on this plate. The Olympic plate was a popular extra-cost issue first issued in 1998, now discontinued but still renewable and valid. This plate is the second variety with lighter blue behind the serial for better readability. This plate appears to be a never-issued example, released after the series became unavailable for new registrations.
		The Arches theme was converted in 2007 from the Centennial commemoration to the more eternal "Life Elevated" logo
		The red top plate began as an optional in 2007 but from 2017 it became a standard, along with the Arches plate and "In God We Trust
		This is an alternative standard plate, in a variety issued 2018 to 2023. Subsequent issues have thinner dies.
VERMONT	This plate is from the 1989 issue. Later issues have thinner dies. Previous versions of this series, from 1985, had different serial formats. Note that these Vermont plates are debossed instead of embossed, unique in the USA.
VIRGINIA	This plate is from the current series that began in 2014.
WASHINGTON	This plate is from the current series of base plates. This variety of serials began in 2010.
WEST VIRGINIA	This plate is from the long duration 2006 to 2023 series. It has been superseded by a very similar series with a map of the state as a separator.
WISCONSIN	This plate is from the 2000 to 2017 series, which has been superseded by a similar plate with a different serial format.
WYOMING	This plate is from County #1, Natrona County. Some counties have two digits, appearing on the left in smaller size to fill the same area as one large digit. This series showing the traditional embossed horse and the screened Devil's Tower is from 2000 to 2005. This series was the last one with embossed serials.
TERRITORIES AND OTHER NON-STATE PLATES
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	This plate is from the 1984 to 1991 series.
US VIRGIN ISLANDS Formerly the Danish West Indies, purchased from Denmark in 1917.	This is the 1993 St. Croix passenger base with 1999 variation (diamond) manufactured by MVLS	2016 series. T prefix indicates island of St. Thomas
PUERTO RICO Formerly a Spanish territory, won in 1898 as a result of the Spanish-American War.	This plate is from the 1978 to 1986 series. This was the last non-graphic series. This sample is from the graphic series of 1987 to 2003. I am looking to obtain an actual registered passenger plate from this or later graphic series
GUANTANAMO BAY (leased territory) This area has been leased from Cuba since 1903.
CANAL ZONE (to 1979) The zone was acquired from Panama in 1903 as part of the agreement to build and maintain the Panama Canal. It and the canal was returned to Panama in 1979	This This 1973 passenger plate is not in pristine condition but it is special to me as I transited the Panama Canal in 1973 and actually set foot in the Canal Zone when we briefly docked at each end. This plate is typical of the annual issues from 1961, when the slogan was first used, right through to the end of the zone in 1979. The Canal Zone was absorbed into Panama in 1979.
AMERICAN SAMOA Acquired gradually by colonization and naval presence with first treaties in 1900.	This plate is from the 1970 to 1972 issue. The slogan means "Island of Paradise". These plates are larger than the North American standard.	This plate is from the 1977 to 1979 series, which was the first to conform to the standard North American sizing.
	This plate is from the 2011 series still being issued today.
GUAM This territory was taken in 1898 in the Spanish-American War.	This plate is from the undated 1980 to 1982 series. This was the last non-graphic series.	This plate is from the 1994 to 2009 graphic series. This plate was issued in Tumon village.
NORTHERN MARIANAS ISLANDS The UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands was administered by the USA since 1944, and subsequently divided into the nations of the Marshall Islands and Micronesia and the US Territory of the Northern Marianas Islands in 1986.	This plate is from the Saipan district of the Trust Territory, this being the part of the Territory that became the US Territory of the Northern Marianas Islands.	This plate is from the 2005 screen-printed series that is still being issued today.
US GOVERNMENT These plates are intended to be turned in when no longer required. Within the USA, at least, possession of such plates is at least questionable!	There are no dates on federal plates issued. Based on fonts and size of the US Government title, this plate appears to be from the 1980's. It is certain however that it was from a Department of Justice vehicle, based on the J prefix.