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California 1914-1919 Cycle Codes
Collectors have long been baffled by the number coding on California porcelain
cycle plates. Thanks in part to the tireless efforts of collectors such as Gene
Hauman, Jeff Minard, and Scott Broady, however, we now have a firm
understanding of the codes that were used.
Below is a chart which will enable you to de-code the number on your cycle plate.
Since the plates only had room for four full sized numbers, plates were numbered
consecutively from 1 to 9999 and then adopted the lettering system. After 9999,
plates switched to A1 though A999, B1 through B999, and so on. Please note,
however, that "I" and "O" were skipped to avoid confusion with the numbers "1"
and "0," respectively. When the single letter system was exhausted, plate
numbers went to AA1 through AA999, BB1 through BB999, etc. And when those
plates ran out, triple letters were even used!
cycle plates. Thanks in part to the tireless efforts of collectors such as Gene
Hauman, Jeff Minard, and Scott Broady, however, we now have a firm
understanding of the codes that were used.
Below is a chart which will enable you to de-code the number on your cycle plate.
Since the plates only had room for four full sized numbers, plates were numbered
consecutively from 1 to 9999 and then adopted the lettering system. After 9999,
plates switched to A1 though A999, B1 through B999, and so on. Please note,
however, that "I" and "O" were skipped to avoid confusion with the numbers "1"
and "0," respectively. When the single letter system was exhausted, plate
numbers went to AA1 through AA999, BB1 through BB999, etc. And when those
plates ran out, triple letters were even used!
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| A B C D E F G H J K L M N P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
| = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = |
| 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 |
| AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH JJ KK LL MM NN PP RR SS TT UU VV WW XX YY ZZ |
| = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = |
| 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 |
| AAA BBB CCC DDD EEE FFF GGG HHH JJJ KKK LLL MMM NNN PPP QQQ RRR SSS TTT UUU VVV WW XXX YYY ZZZ |
| = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = |
| 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 |
| Prior to plate #10,000, letters were not used. |
| Plate #16,322 |
| Plate #62,084 |
| Plate #39,622 |