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Gallery - 2018 Discoveries
This page illustrates a handful of some of the more significant discoveries of
2018. For other significant finds of recent years, please visit the following:
2018. For other significant finds of recent years, please visit the following:
FEBRUARY, 2018 - 1919 MEMPHIS, TN VISITOR
This plate surfaced when a large Tennessee accumulation was sold. It was
particularly interesting because it filled in the last remaining gap in the known run
of Memphis passenger and visitor plates between 1916 and 1920. By process of
elimination, it allowed us to positively date a damaged example to 1918.
MARCH, 2018 - 1916 ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FL MOTORCYCLE
This was the first plate of at least 5 new Florida porcelains to show up in 2018
alone. In this case, three fender-shaped motorcycle plates were all found bolted
together in a dump site in downtown Pensacola, Florida. One plate had
completely rusted away, but this one survived quite nicely.
MARCH 2018 - 1917 ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FL MOTORCYCLE
Bolted to the plate above, this 1917 motorcycle plate was in really rough shape
when it was unearthed. The plate number was completely obliterated, but the
right half of the "7" in the date was clearly visible. While there has been some
liberties taken with the restoration, there is no doubt that this is a 1917 cycle.
MARCH, 2018 - 1914 NOWATA, OK
This remarkable plate was found as part of a complete porcelain run from the city
of Nowata (1913-1915). These plates were hanging on a wall in the town of Nowata
where they had been for the past 100 years. 1915s are known from dump sites
and one other 1913 exists also, but this is the first time a 1914 has been seen.
APRIL, 2018 - 1913-14 NASSAU COUNTY, FL
Before this plate showed up, round Nassau porcelains were known from 1912-13
and 1914-15. It certainly made sense that a 1913-14 must have been issued as
well, but nobody had ever seen one to corroborate this assumption. We now
know that there are at least six different Nassau County porcelains to collect.
JULY, 2018 - 1913 LOUISVILLE, KY CART
While walking along the Ohio River in New Albany, Indiana, a man and his two kids
encountered this plate that appeared to have just recently been washed out of
the river bank. Identical to a Louisville wagon plate that surfaced last year, "1A"
means "one animal," suggesting that this went on a horse-drawn vendor cart.
JULY, 2018 - 1922 ORANGE COUNTY, NC FOR HIRE
While digging in an old trash site, this previously unknown North Carolina plate
surfaced in the town of Hillsborough. These standardized For Hire plates were
issued by all 100 North Carolina counties between 1922 and 1926. Today only a
fraction of these survive - this being the first seen from Orange.
AUGUST, 2018 - 1916 LEVY COUNTY, FL
It's relatively infrequent that a never before seen porcelain license plate turns
up, but in this case, a seller on EBAY listed two different Florida plates - both of
which were previously unknown! This 1916 Levy plate becomes only the third
porcelain variety known to collectors from this tough Florida county.
AUGUST, 2018 - 1912-13 CITRUS COUNTY, FL
Offered simultaneously with the also unique Levy County plate above, this Citrus
plate is significant because it pushes back our understanding of Citrus County
plates by one year. Prior to this EBAY listing, the earliest known Citrus plates
dated from 1913-14.
AUGUST, 2018 - 1919 GUILFORD, NC FOR HIRE
Another EBAY offering, this Guilford plate isn't exactly pretty to look at, but it fills
in yet another hole in the history of North Carolina license plates. Like the 1922-26
For Hire plates from North Carolina, all 100 counties appear to have issued
standardized plates in 1919 as well. This is one of those rare varieties.
NOVEMBER, 2018 - 1909-10 LOUISVILLE, KY
This was an exciting discovery because it filled in the last remaining hole in the
run of porcelains issued from Louisville between 1906-07 and 1911-12. This plate
marks the 9th different porcelain license plate from the city and is one of only two
varieties from Louisville to have a border.
DECEMBER, 2018 - UNDATED PROVIDENCE, RI CONVEYANCE
When this plate showed up in an antique store, it became the first known example
of a porcelain conveyance plate from Providence. Porcelain trucking and
hackney plates had long been known, but the only surviving conveyance plate
was flat painted metal. Unlike the trucking & hackney plates, this one is undated.
DECEMBER, 2018 - 1923-24 STAMFORD, CT JUNKMAN
This is the second known year for Junkman plates from Stamford, joining 1925-26
as the only other known example of this unusual class of plate. Stamford issued
porcelains for a whole variety of vehicles in the teens and twenties and this new
Junkman plate becomes the 8th different porcelain known from the city.
This plate surfaced when a large Tennessee accumulation was sold. It was
particularly interesting because it filled in the last remaining gap in the known run
of Memphis passenger and visitor plates between 1916 and 1920. By process of
elimination, it allowed us to positively date a damaged example to 1918.
MARCH, 2018 - 1916 ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FL MOTORCYCLE
This was the first plate of at least 5 new Florida porcelains to show up in 2018
alone. In this case, three fender-shaped motorcycle plates were all found bolted
together in a dump site in downtown Pensacola, Florida. One plate had
completely rusted away, but this one survived quite nicely.
MARCH 2018 - 1917 ESCAMBIA COUNTY, FL MOTORCYCLE
Bolted to the plate above, this 1917 motorcycle plate was in really rough shape
when it was unearthed. The plate number was completely obliterated, but the
right half of the "7" in the date was clearly visible. While there has been some
liberties taken with the restoration, there is no doubt that this is a 1917 cycle.
MARCH, 2018 - 1914 NOWATA, OK
This remarkable plate was found as part of a complete porcelain run from the city
of Nowata (1913-1915). These plates were hanging on a wall in the town of Nowata
where they had been for the past 100 years. 1915s are known from dump sites
and one other 1913 exists also, but this is the first time a 1914 has been seen.
APRIL, 2018 - 1913-14 NASSAU COUNTY, FL
Before this plate showed up, round Nassau porcelains were known from 1912-13
and 1914-15. It certainly made sense that a 1913-14 must have been issued as
well, but nobody had ever seen one to corroborate this assumption. We now
know that there are at least six different Nassau County porcelains to collect.
JULY, 2018 - 1913 LOUISVILLE, KY CART
While walking along the Ohio River in New Albany, Indiana, a man and his two kids
encountered this plate that appeared to have just recently been washed out of
the river bank. Identical to a Louisville wagon plate that surfaced last year, "1A"
means "one animal," suggesting that this went on a horse-drawn vendor cart.
JULY, 2018 - 1922 ORANGE COUNTY, NC FOR HIRE
While digging in an old trash site, this previously unknown North Carolina plate
surfaced in the town of Hillsborough. These standardized For Hire plates were
issued by all 100 North Carolina counties between 1922 and 1926. Today only a
fraction of these survive - this being the first seen from Orange.
AUGUST, 2018 - 1916 LEVY COUNTY, FL
It's relatively infrequent that a never before seen porcelain license plate turns
up, but in this case, a seller on EBAY listed two different Florida plates - both of
which were previously unknown! This 1916 Levy plate becomes only the third
porcelain variety known to collectors from this tough Florida county.
AUGUST, 2018 - 1912-13 CITRUS COUNTY, FL
Offered simultaneously with the also unique Levy County plate above, this Citrus
plate is significant because it pushes back our understanding of Citrus County
plates by one year. Prior to this EBAY listing, the earliest known Citrus plates
dated from 1913-14.
AUGUST, 2018 - 1919 GUILFORD, NC FOR HIRE
Another EBAY offering, this Guilford plate isn't exactly pretty to look at, but it fills
in yet another hole in the history of North Carolina license plates. Like the 1922-26
For Hire plates from North Carolina, all 100 counties appear to have issued
standardized plates in 1919 as well. This is one of those rare varieties.
NOVEMBER, 2018 - 1909-10 LOUISVILLE, KY
This was an exciting discovery because it filled in the last remaining hole in the
run of porcelains issued from Louisville between 1906-07 and 1911-12. This plate
marks the 9th different porcelain license plate from the city and is one of only two
varieties from Louisville to have a border.
DECEMBER, 2018 - UNDATED PROVIDENCE, RI CONVEYANCE
When this plate showed up in an antique store, it became the first known example
of a porcelain conveyance plate from Providence. Porcelain trucking and
hackney plates had long been known, but the only surviving conveyance plate
was flat painted metal. Unlike the trucking & hackney plates, this one is undated.
DECEMBER, 2018 - 1923-24 STAMFORD, CT JUNKMAN
This is the second known year for Junkman plates from Stamford, joining 1925-26
as the only other known example of this unusual class of plate. Stamford issued
porcelains for a whole variety of vehicles in the teens and twenties and this new
Junkman plate becomes the 8th different porcelain known from the city.
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| 2018 DISCOVERIES |
