PORCELAIN PLATES.NET A Website for Porcelain License Plate Collectors & Enthusiasts |
SANTA ROSA
Created in 1842, the county of Santa Rosa lies in the far North-West region of
Florida. Santa Rosa porcelains are exceptionally rare and are known from
1912-13, 1915-16 and 1916-17.
SEMINOLE
The county of Seminole is located in East-Central Florida. Carved out of Orange
County in 1913, Seminole was one of the last counties to be created before
Florida’s 1910-1917 porcelain era was over. Lying in a rich region for porcelain
plates, Seminole wasted no time and began licensing automobiles as soon as it
was founded with dated 1913-14 plates for both passenger and For Hire vehicles.
The county continued this practice through 1917, presumably issuing a total of
eight different varieties of porcelain license plates (although a 1915-16 For Hire
has never actually been seen). By 1917, well in excess of 500 porcelains were
needed to satisfy Seminole’s annual demand for plates.
SOUTH JACKSONVILLE
South Jacksonville was a short-lived city adjacent to Jacksonville that
disappeared from the map long ago. During its brief existence, however, the city
managed to produce at least two varieties of undated porcelain license plates.
These plates probably date to around 1911 and at least the passenger variety is
known to have been manufactured by the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company.
ST. AUGUSTINE
St. Augustine is an Atlantic coastal city in North-Eastern Florida, and is the county
seat of St. Johns County. The city has a rich and varied history of Spanish rule,
attack by British forces, widespread plunder and massacre of the inhabitants by
pirates, serving as a loyalist colony during the American Revolution, and
occupation by Union troops during the Civil War. In the late 19th century, the
railroad arrived in St. Augustine, and the city grew to become a winter resort for
the very wealthy. The point at which this city first began issuing plates is not
known, but it may have been as late as 1915-16 – the period from which the first
surviving plates from the city date. It seems plausible that the city continued
issuing plates into 1917, but no such plates have been found. Residents of St.
Augustine would have had to carry their city-issued porcelain alongside the St.
Johns county-issued plate of the same year.
ST. JOHNS
Located in North-Eastern Florida along the Atlantic coast, St. Johns county was
formed in 1821. Annual plates were issued in St. Johns from at least 1913-14
through 1916-17, and in 1916-17 we know that the county also required
motorcycles to be registered and carry small round porcelain discs. Only two of
these rare round porcelains survive in collections today. One interesting aspect
of St. Johns plates is that while the 1913-14, 1914-15 and 1916-17 plates are all
fairly typical, with numbers ranging into the upper 300s, the 1915-16 plates are
different. For whatever reason, the three surviving plates for that year all bear
numbers in the 1100s and 1200s, the presumption being that the county chose to
begin numbering on its 1915-16 plates at #1000. Another notable attribute of St.
Johns plates is that three of the known varieties bear the term “License Tag,”
which is a very unusual term to appear on Florida plates. In fact, the only other
jurisdiction to have used such wording on its porcelain plates is Hernando, which
used the term “License Tag” on its 1914-15 and 1915-16 plates.
ST. LUCIE
Carved from Brevard County, St. Lucie was established in 1905. The county lies
on the Eastern Florida coastline. Passenger plates are known to have been
issued annually from 1912-13 through 1916-17. The beautiful red and black
1913-14 issue is one of the most striking porcelains known from all of Florida.
Numbers in 1913-14 reached nearly 300, and perhaps a half-dozen survivors are
known to exist from this year. For whatever reason, the 1914-15 and 1915-16
plates are exceptionally rare, with only a single known plate in collectors’ hands
from each of these two years. Most years are unmarked, but we know that the
1912-13 and 1914-15 plates were made by the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty
Company. The final year – 1916-17 – is the most common of all, with maybe 8
plates known and with registration numbers having reached close to 500. In April
of 2008, a 1916-17 For Hire plate showed up, the first known example of such a
plate to have survived - and the only For Hire plate known from the county for any
year. But perhaps the most interesting of all St. Lucie porcelains to have
surfaced over the years is a round 1914-15 motorcycle plate. Not only is it one of
just two non-passenger porcelains known from the county, but its circular format
is fairly unusual for Florida plates. The only other Florida jurisdictions known to
have produced round porcelains are Duval, Nassau, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and St.
Johns.
SUMTER
Carved out of a portion of Marion County in 1853, Sumter is located in rural
central Florida. Although each is very rare, there are actually seven different
porcelains known from this county ranging from 1912-13 through 1916-17.
Furthermore, Sumter porcelains are distinctive because of a printing error in
which the manufacturer spelled the county name incorrectly. The 1912-13 and
1913-14 plates appear to be fine, but when the contract for the 1914-15 plates was
initially fulfilled, the manufacturer apparently thought the county name had a “P”
in it, as the lowest known survivors on both the Private and For Hire bases all
bear the name “SUMPTER.” The error was seemingly caught and the highest
numbered 1914-15 plates have the county name spelled properly. For years,
there were no correctly spelled 1914-15 For Hire plates, but in 2013 Florida
collector Chuck Westphal found two buried among several regular 1914-15 plates.
There are still more Sumter County porcelains out there to be found, as no
surviving passenger plates exist for 1912-13, 1915-16 or 1916-17, but for now
these remain unknown.
SUWANNEE
Located in Northern Florida, Suwanee County was created in 1858. The Suwanee
River forms the county's northern, western, and much of its southern border.
Plates were apparently issued from 1911-12 through 1916-17, although not all
years are presently known. Oddly enough, all known varieties are completely
different in size. In 1913-14, when the contract to produce porcelains was held by
the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company, registrations surpassed 100, and by the
end of 1917 they neared 300. Interestingly, of the dozen or so surviving plates
from this county, all are passenger issues.
TAMPA
Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough county on the West Coast of Florida, and
is one of the largest cities in the state. Incorporated in 1849, Tampa thrived on
industries such as fishing and cigar production. It was also a military
encampment and an important commercial district serving a large part of
southwestern Florida. By 1900, the city’s population had surpassed 15,000 and
grew to more than 40,000 by the time the first porcelain license plates were
issued there in 1913-14. We’re not sure who manufactured these first plates, but
by the following year, the contract was awarded to the Baltimore Enamel &
Novelty Company, as indicated by the company seal on the reverse of the plates.
It’s possible “BALTO” continued producing the Tampa plates all the way through
the porcelain years, but this is no more than speculation.
For Hire variants of the Tampa plates started from the first issue, and it’s possible
that motorcycle plates did, too. However, the earliest cycle plate anybody has
seen is a small rectangular 1915 issue. In 1917, interestingly, the format was
drastically changed for motorcycle plates, with the city now issuing curved plates
designed to fit the fender, much like the Alachua and Hillsborough cycle plates of
the same era.
Tampa porcelains are in the mid-range of rarity when it comes to Florida
porcelains. 1913-14 plates reached approximately 1,200 and are pretty tough, but
the later years are somewhat more attainable, with perhaps 15 or 20 known
examples known of the 1914-15 and 1915-16 plates. The final 1916-17 plates are
the most common of all, with known numbers reaching nearly 2,000 and perhaps
as many as 35 or 40 surviving plates in collectors’ hands.
TAYLOR
Formed in 1856, Taylor is a county in Northern Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. A
lone 1915-16 porcelain is the sole surviving evidence that plates were issued in
this county. This places the Taylor County plate in exclusive company in terms of
rarity, as there are only five other porcelains from the state that are the only
known surviving example from their respective jurisdictions (Bay County, 1915-
16; Holmes County, 1916-17; Monroe County, 1912-13; Okaloosa County, 1915-16;
and Wakulla County, 1912-13).
VOLUSIA
Created in 1854, Volusia is a county in East-Central Florida along the Atlantic
Ocean. Although no cities within the county are known to have produced
porcelains, the county itself is known for a long run of porcelain plates, both for
private vehicles and, in reverse colors, for vehicles for hire. In fact, Volusia's six-
year run of annual dated plates is one of the longest runs known from Florida,
and the 12 distinct varieties of plates issued during that span are second only to
the city of Jacksonville for the most collectible porcelain types from any given
jurisdiction in the state. Furthermore, only Jacksonville issued plates earlier
than Volusia County.
Early Volusia plates are quite scarce - and the For Hire variants are rare from any
year - but the later passenger plates are among the more attainable Florida
porcelains. We don't know who manufactured all of these plates, but the 1912-13
issues are stamped with the seal of the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company, a
company which managed to secure numerous contracts to supply porcelains to
Florida counties in the pre-state era. It is notable that the first two issues are
also known in flat painted metal, perhaps as replacement plates for lost or
damaged porcelains. The first issues reached about 400, and the 1912-13 plates
approximately 600.
Although the 1912-13 plate is the only issue with a maker's mark, we know from a
June 5th, 1914 report in the "New Smyrna Times" that a company named W.H.
Wood & Son was awarded the contract to provide the 1914-15 plates to the
county. That order called for 1,000 passenger plates and 300 For Hire plates at a
cost of 19? cents each. The passenger plates for these middle years of the
Volusia porcelains are fairly common, with maybe 30 known survivors of each.
The format changed drastically with the 1916-17 plates, and a large, attractive
plate was produced with the County seal emblazoned at left. This last of the
Volusia porcelains is one of the most striking plates from all of Florida. Numbers
on these plates are known to have reached nearly 1,700. By this time, the cost of
these licenses was running between $3 and $10, depending on the size of the
vehicle and the number of seats it contained. Vehicles for hire were charged a
license fee of $3 per seat. No vehicle, regardless of the city or state or origin,
could drive the highways of Volusia County without bearing a license plate from
some county in Florida.
WAKULLA
Located in Northern Florida along the Gulf Coast, Wakulla County lies in the
Tallahassee metro area. The county was created in 1843 and is home to Wakulla
Springs, one of the world’s largest freshwater springs. In terms of license plates,
the county is represented by a single known surviving example – a 1912-13 For
Hire porcelain – making it one of the rarest plates known from all of Florida.
There are only five other porcelains from the state that are the only known
surviving example from their respective jurisdictions (Bay County, 1915-16;
Holmes County, 1916-17; Monroe County, 1912-13; Okaloosa County, 1915-16; and
Taylor County, 1915-16).
WALTON
Created in 1824, Walton is a county in North-West Florida in an area of the state
known for very few license plates. For a long time, only a 1912-13 and two 1915-
16s had ever been found, but in the mid-1990s, a few 1916-17s and at least one
more 1912-13 were unearthed at a dump site. Then in 2013, the first known 1913
For Hire surfaced and in 2014 the first 1915 plate showed up. Altogether, there
are now 6 different varieties of Walton County porcelains that have been
identified.
WASHINGTON
This North-Western Florida county was formed in 1825. This frontier land was first
settled in search of its vast timber and mineral resources. Inland waterway
transportation and the arrival of railroads boosted development. But it was
always a sparsely populated area with few automobiles. Prior to XX, in fact, no
plates were known to exist from Washington. It remained the last county that
existed during the porcelain era from which no evidence of plates had yet been
found. Then a near pristine 1915-16 showed up, followed a few years later by a
1914-15 For Hire plate.
WEST PALM BEACH
The county seat of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach is a city on Florida’s
South-Eastern coast. The city was founded in 1894 as a community to house the
servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm
Beach. During the teens and ‘20s, the city boomed and rivaled Miami before the
Depression and hurricanes devastated the community economically. Surviving
examples of porcelain license plates from the city are known from 1914-15 and
1916-17.
Created in 1842, the county of Santa Rosa lies in the far North-West region of
Florida. Santa Rosa porcelains are exceptionally rare and are known from
1912-13, 1915-16 and 1916-17.
SEMINOLE
The county of Seminole is located in East-Central Florida. Carved out of Orange
County in 1913, Seminole was one of the last counties to be created before
Florida’s 1910-1917 porcelain era was over. Lying in a rich region for porcelain
plates, Seminole wasted no time and began licensing automobiles as soon as it
was founded with dated 1913-14 plates for both passenger and For Hire vehicles.
The county continued this practice through 1917, presumably issuing a total of
eight different varieties of porcelain license plates (although a 1915-16 For Hire
has never actually been seen). By 1917, well in excess of 500 porcelains were
needed to satisfy Seminole’s annual demand for plates.
SOUTH JACKSONVILLE
South Jacksonville was a short-lived city adjacent to Jacksonville that
disappeared from the map long ago. During its brief existence, however, the city
managed to produce at least two varieties of undated porcelain license plates.
These plates probably date to around 1911 and at least the passenger variety is
known to have been manufactured by the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company.
ST. AUGUSTINE
St. Augustine is an Atlantic coastal city in North-Eastern Florida, and is the county
seat of St. Johns County. The city has a rich and varied history of Spanish rule,
attack by British forces, widespread plunder and massacre of the inhabitants by
pirates, serving as a loyalist colony during the American Revolution, and
occupation by Union troops during the Civil War. In the late 19th century, the
railroad arrived in St. Augustine, and the city grew to become a winter resort for
the very wealthy. The point at which this city first began issuing plates is not
known, but it may have been as late as 1915-16 – the period from which the first
surviving plates from the city date. It seems plausible that the city continued
issuing plates into 1917, but no such plates have been found. Residents of St.
Augustine would have had to carry their city-issued porcelain alongside the St.
Johns county-issued plate of the same year.
ST. JOHNS
Located in North-Eastern Florida along the Atlantic coast, St. Johns county was
formed in 1821. Annual plates were issued in St. Johns from at least 1913-14
through 1916-17, and in 1916-17 we know that the county also required
motorcycles to be registered and carry small round porcelain discs. Only two of
these rare round porcelains survive in collections today. One interesting aspect
of St. Johns plates is that while the 1913-14, 1914-15 and 1916-17 plates are all
fairly typical, with numbers ranging into the upper 300s, the 1915-16 plates are
different. For whatever reason, the three surviving plates for that year all bear
numbers in the 1100s and 1200s, the presumption being that the county chose to
begin numbering on its 1915-16 plates at #1000. Another notable attribute of St.
Johns plates is that three of the known varieties bear the term “License Tag,”
which is a very unusual term to appear on Florida plates. In fact, the only other
jurisdiction to have used such wording on its porcelain plates is Hernando, which
used the term “License Tag” on its 1914-15 and 1915-16 plates.
ST. LUCIE
Carved from Brevard County, St. Lucie was established in 1905. The county lies
on the Eastern Florida coastline. Passenger plates are known to have been
issued annually from 1912-13 through 1916-17. The beautiful red and black
1913-14 issue is one of the most striking porcelains known from all of Florida.
Numbers in 1913-14 reached nearly 300, and perhaps a half-dozen survivors are
known to exist from this year. For whatever reason, the 1914-15 and 1915-16
plates are exceptionally rare, with only a single known plate in collectors’ hands
from each of these two years. Most years are unmarked, but we know that the
1912-13 and 1914-15 plates were made by the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty
Company. The final year – 1916-17 – is the most common of all, with maybe 8
plates known and with registration numbers having reached close to 500. In April
of 2008, a 1916-17 For Hire plate showed up, the first known example of such a
plate to have survived - and the only For Hire plate known from the county for any
year. But perhaps the most interesting of all St. Lucie porcelains to have
surfaced over the years is a round 1914-15 motorcycle plate. Not only is it one of
just two non-passenger porcelains known from the county, but its circular format
is fairly unusual for Florida plates. The only other Florida jurisdictions known to
have produced round porcelains are Duval, Nassau, Palm Beach, Pinellas, and St.
Johns.
SUMTER
Carved out of a portion of Marion County in 1853, Sumter is located in rural
central Florida. Although each is very rare, there are actually seven different
porcelains known from this county ranging from 1912-13 through 1916-17.
Furthermore, Sumter porcelains are distinctive because of a printing error in
which the manufacturer spelled the county name incorrectly. The 1912-13 and
1913-14 plates appear to be fine, but when the contract for the 1914-15 plates was
initially fulfilled, the manufacturer apparently thought the county name had a “P”
in it, as the lowest known survivors on both the Private and For Hire bases all
bear the name “SUMPTER.” The error was seemingly caught and the highest
numbered 1914-15 plates have the county name spelled properly. For years,
there were no correctly spelled 1914-15 For Hire plates, but in 2013 Florida
collector Chuck Westphal found two buried among several regular 1914-15 plates.
There are still more Sumter County porcelains out there to be found, as no
surviving passenger plates exist for 1912-13, 1915-16 or 1916-17, but for now
these remain unknown.
SUWANNEE
Located in Northern Florida, Suwanee County was created in 1858. The Suwanee
River forms the county's northern, western, and much of its southern border.
Plates were apparently issued from 1911-12 through 1916-17, although not all
years are presently known. Oddly enough, all known varieties are completely
different in size. In 1913-14, when the contract to produce porcelains was held by
the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company, registrations surpassed 100, and by the
end of 1917 they neared 300. Interestingly, of the dozen or so surviving plates
from this county, all are passenger issues.
TAMPA
Tampa is the county seat of Hillsborough county on the West Coast of Florida, and
is one of the largest cities in the state. Incorporated in 1849, Tampa thrived on
industries such as fishing and cigar production. It was also a military
encampment and an important commercial district serving a large part of
southwestern Florida. By 1900, the city’s population had surpassed 15,000 and
grew to more than 40,000 by the time the first porcelain license plates were
issued there in 1913-14. We’re not sure who manufactured these first plates, but
by the following year, the contract was awarded to the Baltimore Enamel &
Novelty Company, as indicated by the company seal on the reverse of the plates.
It’s possible “BALTO” continued producing the Tampa plates all the way through
the porcelain years, but this is no more than speculation.
For Hire variants of the Tampa plates started from the first issue, and it’s possible
that motorcycle plates did, too. However, the earliest cycle plate anybody has
seen is a small rectangular 1915 issue. In 1917, interestingly, the format was
drastically changed for motorcycle plates, with the city now issuing curved plates
designed to fit the fender, much like the Alachua and Hillsborough cycle plates of
the same era.
Tampa porcelains are in the mid-range of rarity when it comes to Florida
porcelains. 1913-14 plates reached approximately 1,200 and are pretty tough, but
the later years are somewhat more attainable, with perhaps 15 or 20 known
examples known of the 1914-15 and 1915-16 plates. The final 1916-17 plates are
the most common of all, with known numbers reaching nearly 2,000 and perhaps
as many as 35 or 40 surviving plates in collectors’ hands.
TAYLOR
Formed in 1856, Taylor is a county in Northern Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. A
lone 1915-16 porcelain is the sole surviving evidence that plates were issued in
this county. This places the Taylor County plate in exclusive company in terms of
rarity, as there are only five other porcelains from the state that are the only
known surviving example from their respective jurisdictions (Bay County, 1915-
16; Holmes County, 1916-17; Monroe County, 1912-13; Okaloosa County, 1915-16;
and Wakulla County, 1912-13).
VOLUSIA
Created in 1854, Volusia is a county in East-Central Florida along the Atlantic
Ocean. Although no cities within the county are known to have produced
porcelains, the county itself is known for a long run of porcelain plates, both for
private vehicles and, in reverse colors, for vehicles for hire. In fact, Volusia's six-
year run of annual dated plates is one of the longest runs known from Florida,
and the 12 distinct varieties of plates issued during that span are second only to
the city of Jacksonville for the most collectible porcelain types from any given
jurisdiction in the state. Furthermore, only Jacksonville issued plates earlier
than Volusia County.
Early Volusia plates are quite scarce - and the For Hire variants are rare from any
year - but the later passenger plates are among the more attainable Florida
porcelains. We don't know who manufactured all of these plates, but the 1912-13
issues are stamped with the seal of the Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company, a
company which managed to secure numerous contracts to supply porcelains to
Florida counties in the pre-state era. It is notable that the first two issues are
also known in flat painted metal, perhaps as replacement plates for lost or
damaged porcelains. The first issues reached about 400, and the 1912-13 plates
approximately 600.
Although the 1912-13 plate is the only issue with a maker's mark, we know from a
June 5th, 1914 report in the "New Smyrna Times" that a company named W.H.
Wood & Son was awarded the contract to provide the 1914-15 plates to the
county. That order called for 1,000 passenger plates and 300 For Hire plates at a
cost of 19? cents each. The passenger plates for these middle years of the
Volusia porcelains are fairly common, with maybe 30 known survivors of each.
The format changed drastically with the 1916-17 plates, and a large, attractive
plate was produced with the County seal emblazoned at left. This last of the
Volusia porcelains is one of the most striking plates from all of Florida. Numbers
on these plates are known to have reached nearly 1,700. By this time, the cost of
these licenses was running between $3 and $10, depending on the size of the
vehicle and the number of seats it contained. Vehicles for hire were charged a
license fee of $3 per seat. No vehicle, regardless of the city or state or origin,
could drive the highways of Volusia County without bearing a license plate from
some county in Florida.
WAKULLA
Located in Northern Florida along the Gulf Coast, Wakulla County lies in the
Tallahassee metro area. The county was created in 1843 and is home to Wakulla
Springs, one of the world’s largest freshwater springs. In terms of license plates,
the county is represented by a single known surviving example – a 1912-13 For
Hire porcelain – making it one of the rarest plates known from all of Florida.
There are only five other porcelains from the state that are the only known
surviving example from their respective jurisdictions (Bay County, 1915-16;
Holmes County, 1916-17; Monroe County, 1912-13; Okaloosa County, 1915-16; and
Taylor County, 1915-16).
WALTON
Created in 1824, Walton is a county in North-West Florida in an area of the state
known for very few license plates. For a long time, only a 1912-13 and two 1915-
16s had ever been found, but in the mid-1990s, a few 1916-17s and at least one
more 1912-13 were unearthed at a dump site. Then in 2013, the first known 1913
For Hire surfaced and in 2014 the first 1915 plate showed up. Altogether, there
are now 6 different varieties of Walton County porcelains that have been
identified.
WASHINGTON
This North-Western Florida county was formed in 1825. This frontier land was first
settled in search of its vast timber and mineral resources. Inland waterway
transportation and the arrival of railroads boosted development. But it was
always a sparsely populated area with few automobiles. Prior to XX, in fact, no
plates were known to exist from Washington. It remained the last county that
existed during the porcelain era from which no evidence of plates had yet been
found. Then a near pristine 1915-16 showed up, followed a few years later by a
1914-15 For Hire plate.
WEST PALM BEACH
The county seat of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach is a city on Florida’s
South-Eastern coast. The city was founded in 1894 as a community to house the
servants working in the two grand hotels on the neighboring island of Palm
Beach. During the teens and ‘20s, the city boomed and rivaled Miami before the
Depression and hurricanes devastated the community economically. Surviving
examples of porcelain license plates from the city are known from 1914-15 and
1916-17.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Use this shortcut to jump to the Florida archive page of your choice PAGE 1 (Alachua-Escambia) PAGE 2 (Fernandina-Lee) PAGE 3 (Leon-Putnam) PAGE 4 (Santa Rosa- West Palm Beach) |
Florida Archive (4 of 4)
SANTA ROSA - WEST PALM BEACH
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Volusia's first two issues are known in both porcelain as well as flat painted metal like the ones pictured here - perhaps as replacements for lost or damaged porcelains |
