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Vermont Archive
TOTAL KNOWN PORCELAIN VARIETIES: 19
I: PRE-STATES / CITY & COUNTY PLATES
Not only are there no known pre-states from Vermont, but there are likewise
no city-issued porcelains that exist from the state. This distinguishes Vermont
from its neighbors, as it is the only New England state from which there are no
porcelain city plates.
II: STATE-ISSUED PASSENGER PLATES
In keeping with New England's pioneering reputation for the licensing of motor
vehicles, Vermont was one of the earliest states to formally issue license plates.
The 1904 session of the General Assembly expanded motor vehicle regulation and
provided for the registration of motor vehicles by May 1, 1905. The Secretary of
State collected a registration fee of $2 for individual owners, and $10 for dealers
and manufacturers. Accordingly, in 1905, the state issued its first plate - an
undated plate with the designation "Vermont Automobile Register."
Commonly known as a "VAR," this multi-year plate was manufactured by the
Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company and was modeled after the Massachusetts
registers of 1903. These plates were good from 1905 and into the first half of
1907. Interestingly, the VAR plates are unlike most other New England porcelains,
in that they were issued as single plates only and did not vary in length based on
the plate number. Plate numbers started at #1 and went to just under #1000. At
least three batches of plates are known to have been made: March, 1905; April,
1905; and May, 1906. Plates from the last batch are notable for having white
backs, unlike the black backs of their predecessors. Taken as a whole, Vermont
Auto Registers are among the most sought after license plates in the country.
Specialists believe that fewer than 75 of these tough porcelains survive in
collectors' hands today.
The years of Vermont Auto Registers break down as follows:
In 1906, officials recognized that some
changes had to be made. As Vermont
experts Conrad Hughson and Corb
Moister, Jr. have pointed out, the VAR
plates looked almost identical to the
Massachusetts Registers being used at
the same time, often causing confusion.
As a result, the General Assembly
approved a new Act on December 19, 1906
mandating the issuance of a new plate.
Unlike the Automobile Registers, these
new undated plates were issued in pairs.
Designed to be used from 1907 through
1908, experts believe these second-issue
plates didn't hit the road until until April
of 1907 at the earliest.
Like the VAR plates, the new black & white
porcelains were manufactured by the
Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company and
bore that company's trademark hand-written
date coding system on the reverse. Batches
are known to have been produced in March,
May and June of 1907 and February and May
of 1908. When all was said and done, about
2,000 pairs of second-issue passenger
plates were produced. For more on
Baltimore Enamel's date coding system, click
HERE.
The years of second-issue Vermont
porcelains break down approximately as
follows:
Finally, in 1909, Vermont issued its first dated plate and would continue to issue
porcelains annually through 1915. Baltimore Enamel managed to retain its
contract with the state through 1912 and each of the plates that company
produced between 1909 and 1912 were identical in design and color, changing
size depending on the plate number. In 1913 and 1914, the plates were unmarked,
and we are uncertain who produced them. In 1915, however, the plates were
marked with the stamp of the Ingram-Richardson Manufacturing Company of
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Not until the 1915 plates did registration numbers in
Vermont finally surpass 15,000
III: STATE-ISSUED NON-PASSENGER PLATES
Just as the state of Vermont is distinctive for having no cities that issued
porcelain plates, it is equally distinctive for its lack of state-issued non-passenger
varieties. In fact, with a grand total of two collectible non-passenger types -
Dealer and Temporary - Vermont has the fewest non-passengers of any New
England state by far. Interestingly, although motorcycles were required to
register in 1905, owners were issued the standard Vermont Automobile Register
plates, with nothing to differentiate them from the passenger car issues. Then in
1907, motorcyclists were issued small brass plates. At no point in the porcelain
era were distinct Vermont motorcycle plates ever issued.
DEALER
Vermont issued dealer plates for its entire
11 year history of porcelain plates. These
dealer issues were distinctive because of
their "0" prefix. Each dealership received
three sets of identically numbered plates
and could order more for an additional cost.
Vermont Register dealers are virtually non-
existent, with only two known in collectors'
hands. Even the later years of Vermont
porcelain dealers are extremely difficult to
locate. I have never seen a Vermont dealer
for any of the porcelain years with a number
higher than 200. Because dealerships could
order additional plates whenever they grew
large enough to need them, there is a great
variance in plate size. For example, if
dealership #1 received plate #01 in 1913, it
would have been manufactured on a small
base. However, if they requested another
plate later in the year when dealer
registrations had hit triple digits, then they
would have been given #01 on that new, longer sized base.
TEMPORARY
The only other variety of a porcelain non-passenger plate issued by the state of
Vermont was a Temporary plate, which was issued in 1915 only. Like the other
plates that year, this was manufactured by the Ingram-Richardson Manufacturing
Company. As Corb Moister and Gary Irish have pointed out, these plates were
issued to dealers and were loaned to purchasers of new vehicles, to be returned
in no more than five days. Interestingly, unlike the passenger and dealer plates,
this temporary issue was manufactured in an entirely different - and rather odd -
color scheme, with yellow numbers and letters on a green background. In
addition, unlike the other 1915 plates, this issue was undated, with the
designation "T" in place of the date.
FURTHER READING
Chris Fretta, "Green Mountain Plates: Vermont." PLATES, 54, 4 (August, 2008), pp.
8-12.
Conrad Hughson and Corb Moister, Jr., “See Vermont – The Green Mountain
State.” ALPCA Newsletter, 41, 2 (April, 1995), pp. 32-38.
Corb Moister, Jr. and Gary Irish, “See Vermont – The Green Mountain State: Non-
Passenger Plates 1905 to 1995.” ALPCA Newsletter, 41, 4 (August, 1995), pp. 111-
119.
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles website, "A History Of Vermont License
Plates, 1894-2000."
I: PRE-STATES / CITY & COUNTY PLATES
Not only are there no known pre-states from Vermont, but there are likewise
no city-issued porcelains that exist from the state. This distinguishes Vermont
from its neighbors, as it is the only New England state from which there are no
porcelain city plates.
II: STATE-ISSUED PASSENGER PLATES
In keeping with New England's pioneering reputation for the licensing of motor
vehicles, Vermont was one of the earliest states to formally issue license plates.
The 1904 session of the General Assembly expanded motor vehicle regulation and
provided for the registration of motor vehicles by May 1, 1905. The Secretary of
State collected a registration fee of $2 for individual owners, and $10 for dealers
and manufacturers. Accordingly, in 1905, the state issued its first plate - an
undated plate with the designation "Vermont Automobile Register."
Commonly known as a "VAR," this multi-year plate was manufactured by the
Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company and was modeled after the Massachusetts
registers of 1903. These plates were good from 1905 and into the first half of
1907. Interestingly, the VAR plates are unlike most other New England porcelains,
in that they were issued as single plates only and did not vary in length based on
the plate number. Plate numbers started at #1 and went to just under #1000. At
least three batches of plates are known to have been made: March, 1905; April,
1905; and May, 1906. Plates from the last batch are notable for having white
backs, unlike the black backs of their predecessors. Taken as a whole, Vermont
Auto Registers are among the most sought after license plates in the country.
Specialists believe that fewer than 75 of these tough porcelains survive in
collectors' hands today.
The years of Vermont Auto Registers break down as follows:
In 1906, officials recognized that some
changes had to be made. As Vermont
experts Conrad Hughson and Corb
Moister, Jr. have pointed out, the VAR
plates looked almost identical to the
Massachusetts Registers being used at
the same time, often causing confusion.
As a result, the General Assembly
approved a new Act on December 19, 1906
mandating the issuance of a new plate.
Unlike the Automobile Registers, these
new undated plates were issued in pairs.
Designed to be used from 1907 through
1908, experts believe these second-issue
plates didn't hit the road until until April
of 1907 at the earliest.
Like the VAR plates, the new black & white
porcelains were manufactured by the
Baltimore Enamel & Novelty Company and
bore that company's trademark hand-written
date coding system on the reverse. Batches
are known to have been produced in March,
May and June of 1907 and February and May
of 1908. When all was said and done, about
2,000 pairs of second-issue passenger
plates were produced. For more on
Baltimore Enamel's date coding system, click
HERE.
The years of second-issue Vermont
porcelains break down approximately as
follows:
Finally, in 1909, Vermont issued its first dated plate and would continue to issue
porcelains annually through 1915. Baltimore Enamel managed to retain its
contract with the state through 1912 and each of the plates that company
produced between 1909 and 1912 were identical in design and color, changing
size depending on the plate number. In 1913 and 1914, the plates were unmarked,
and we are uncertain who produced them. In 1915, however, the plates were
marked with the stamp of the Ingram-Richardson Manufacturing Company of
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Not until the 1915 plates did registration numbers in
Vermont finally surpass 15,000
III: STATE-ISSUED NON-PASSENGER PLATES
Just as the state of Vermont is distinctive for having no cities that issued
porcelain plates, it is equally distinctive for its lack of state-issued non-passenger
varieties. In fact, with a grand total of two collectible non-passenger types -
Dealer and Temporary - Vermont has the fewest non-passengers of any New
England state by far. Interestingly, although motorcycles were required to
register in 1905, owners were issued the standard Vermont Automobile Register
plates, with nothing to differentiate them from the passenger car issues. Then in
1907, motorcyclists were issued small brass plates. At no point in the porcelain
era were distinct Vermont motorcycle plates ever issued.
DEALER
Vermont issued dealer plates for its entire
11 year history of porcelain plates. These
dealer issues were distinctive because of
their "0" prefix. Each dealership received
three sets of identically numbered plates
and could order more for an additional cost.
Vermont Register dealers are virtually non-
existent, with only two known in collectors'
hands. Even the later years of Vermont
porcelain dealers are extremely difficult to
locate. I have never seen a Vermont dealer
for any of the porcelain years with a number
higher than 200. Because dealerships could
order additional plates whenever they grew
large enough to need them, there is a great
variance in plate size. For example, if
dealership #1 received plate #01 in 1913, it
would have been manufactured on a small
base. However, if they requested another
plate later in the year when dealer
registrations had hit triple digits, then they
would have been given #01 on that new, longer sized base.
TEMPORARY
The only other variety of a porcelain non-passenger plate issued by the state of
Vermont was a Temporary plate, which was issued in 1915 only. Like the other
plates that year, this was manufactured by the Ingram-Richardson Manufacturing
Company. As Corb Moister and Gary Irish have pointed out, these plates were
issued to dealers and were loaned to purchasers of new vehicles, to be returned
in no more than five days. Interestingly, unlike the passenger and dealer plates,
this temporary issue was manufactured in an entirely different - and rather odd -
color scheme, with yellow numbers and letters on a green background. In
addition, unlike the other 1915 plates, this issue was undated, with the
designation "T" in place of the date.
FURTHER READING
Chris Fretta, "Green Mountain Plates: Vermont." PLATES, 54, 4 (August, 2008), pp.
8-12.
Conrad Hughson and Corb Moister, Jr., “See Vermont – The Green Mountain
State.” ALPCA Newsletter, 41, 2 (April, 1995), pp. 32-38.
Corb Moister, Jr. and Gary Irish, “See Vermont – The Green Mountain State: Non-
Passenger Plates 1905 to 1995.” ALPCA Newsletter, 41, 4 (August, 1995), pp. 111-
119.
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles website, "A History Of Vermont License
Plates, 1894-2000."
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| Vermont Second-Issue (1907) |
| Vermont Undated (1907) |
| Vermont 1910 |
| Vermont 1912 |
| Vermont 1915 |
| Vermont 1912 Courtesy of Mike Duff |
