Top 10 Rarest License Plates in Existence 2024: In 1893, France was the first country to introduce license plates as a method for the government to keep track of automobiles, ensure that drivers are responsible for their actions, and deter theft.
In the United States, the procedure was made somewhat more difficult by the fact that different states were responsible for enforcing their own regulations regarding license plates.
Before the government started producing license plates, some states required drivers to make their own before they would even issue them.
In any event, license plates are frequently disregarded as an unimportant component of the process of purchasing and operating a motor vehicle.
However, there is a market for scarce, out-of-production, and precious plates on the international level. Continue reading to find out more.
Top 10 Rarest License Plates in Existence 2024
1. Yellow North Korean Plates
- Origin Population: 25,864,244
- Number in existence: Unknown
- Background color: Yellow
Because they are so difficult to get, North Korean number plates are the highlight of every collection, despite the fact that they are by no means an uncommon collectible due to the vast number of them that exist.
Since the middle of the twentieth century, North Korea has been ruled by a dictatorship, and as a result, the country is very secretive and protective of its official possessions.
Because it is difficult to enter and exit the nation, it is extremely improbable that you will come across any vehicles outside of North Korea that are displaying these license plates.
Notable is the fact that different drivers in North Korea have different colored license plates, which indicate their status.
Yellow license plates are the most uncommon of all of these options because they demonstrate that the person driving the vehicle is the legal owner of the vehicle.
Did you know that North Korea also utilizes blue, black, green, and red license plates? These colors indicate that the car is either owned by the government, managed by the military, belongs to a foreign organization, or is privately owned by a foreign national.
2. Maryland 1966 expiration PSC Zone Plates
- Origin Population: Irrelevant
- Number in existence: Unknown
- Background color: Yellow
Although there are a significant number of PSC Zone plates with a date of expiration of 1966 still in circulation, they were never really used.
In the beginning, the state of Maryland developed them for use on municipal buses under the PSC acronym, which stood for “Public Services Zone.”
During the registration year of 1964-1965, the city made the decision to place buses under the jurisdiction of the MTA, also known as the “Metropolitan Transit Authority.”
Therefore, the PSC Zone plates were never actually used, but they were most likely prepared in advance, which explains why there are so many still in existence.
Have you any idea?
In 1918, the black-eyed Susan was officially recognized as the state flower of Maryland.
3. 1913 Mississippi Plate
- Origin Population: 1,827,000
- Number in existence: Unknown
- Background color: White
In 1912, Mississippi was the first state to issue official license plates. The next year, they issued the subsequent iteration of plates for a period of ninety days, after which the government ordered that all of the plates be destroyed when they were returned.
In spite of the fact that the reason for the recall is unknown, it may almost certainly be attributed to some kind of flaw in the plates.
Today, there are only a few of them left, and each one is worth approximately $50,000, which is, strangely, more than the majority of automobiles!
Did you know that the United States has more than 220 million people with licenses to operate motor vehicles?
4. Vatican City Pope Plates
- Origin Population: 1
- Number in existence: 5
- Background color: White
Ordinary license plates from Vatican City are already difficult to come by due to the city’s low population, but popemobile plates are even more difficult to come by given that there can only ever be one person serving as the head of the Catholic Church at any given time.
There are currently five “pope plates” in circulation, and the crimson lettering on each one bears the number SCV 1 through 5.
All of these license plates are on exhibit in a museum, with the exception of “SCV 1,” which is currently displayed on the vehicle that Pope Francis uses for official business. The Pope travels in a fleet of vehicles, all of which have license plates with the color red typeface.
Have you any idea?
“SCV” is an abbreviation for “Status Civitatis Vaticanae,” which translates to “Vatican City.” This abbreviation appears on the Pope’s vehicle license plates.
5. 1905 and 1906 West Virginia License Plates
- Origin Population: About a million
- Number in existence: 5 or less
- Background color: Green (1905) and blue (1906)
In the realm of plate collecting, the 1905 and 1906 West Virginia license plates are cloaked in mystery, which only serves to boost their standing as highly collectible items.
There has only been one potential instance of a 1905 Virginia license plate ever found, and it was in the 1940s.
This instance was found in Virginia. It has the number “05” painted on the right side and is repainted white on green. Some collectors have found a few further license plates from 1906, but all of them are in bad shape.
This has led some collectors to theorize that the plates were never formally issued. Instead of doing that, the makers punched them into thin sheets of aluminum before giving up on the job.
In light of this information, historians and collectors are quick to point out that there are no records of license plate issuing from West Virginia at the time, which puts the legitimacy of the supposed plates into question.
Did you know that West Virginia was admitted to the Union as the thirty-fifth state in the year 1863?
6. 1921 Alaska Plate
- Origin Population: about 55,000
- Number in existence: 4 today
- Background color: Yellow
Collectors of license plates consider the Alaska plate from 1921 to be the ultimate prize in the hobby. The name of the state is printed on a yellow plate, and the registered number is, as one would expect, also present.
The appearance is unremarkable. This plate, like many others of its period, is extremely unusual because it was issued in the first year that the federal government of the United States forced Alaska citizens to register their vehicles.
It is important to note that Alaska had not yet attained its status as a state and wouldn’t do so until 1959. At this point, Alaska was merely considered a territory that had been conquered.
As a direct consequence of this, the population, which is still quite low in modern times, was even lower, which explains the limited number of 1921 plates that are still in existence.
Did you know that “North to the Future” is the official motto of the state of Alaska? This phrase was chosen in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Purchase.
7. 1911 Mississippi Porcelain Plates
- Origin Population: 1,810,000
- Number in existence: 3
- Background color: Blue
In the early days, people living in Mississippi manufactured plates out of a variety of materials, including leather, metal, and even wood.
In other instances, drivers would just paint the numbers right into the bodies of their vehicles. In spite of this, some of the more prosperous locals placed orders for porcelain plates around the year 1911.
There is some debate among historians and collectors as to whether or not these plates are instances of the first official state issue or simply examples of individual attempts; in either case, however, they are extremely uncommon.
Between the years 1985 and 2006, all three porcelain Mississippi plates that are now known were found.
Have you any idea?
The Anishinaabe name for “Big River” was originally pronounced as “Misi-ziibi,” from whence the French word “Mississippi” was derived. “Mississippi” is a French interpretation of this word.
8. O 10 UK Plates
- Origin Population: Single-family
- Number in existence: 1
- Background color: White
Because it is a one-of-a-kind license plate, the O 10 UK plate is considered to be among the rarest of the rarest.
At the auction in 2020, it brought in the price of $170,000. The history of the plate, in addition to the traditions that are associated with license plates in the UK, explains why it is so valuable.
Personalization of number plates is illegal in a large number of nations, including the United States. In addition, motorists in the United Kingdom keep their license plates when they move automobiles, which is not the case in many states in the United States.
For example, the same family has held onto the O 10 plate for the past 118 years. When the vehicle registration office in Birmingham initially opened its doors, their granddad was the tenth person in the queue. When taken together, these elements give the plate an estimated value of well over one hundred thousand dollars.
Have you any idea?
The Ford Fiesta, the Vauxhall Corsa, and the Volkswagen Golf are the three automobiles that have sold the most units in the UK.
9. J4 Plate
- Origin Population: 1
- Number in existence: 1
- Background color: Yellow
At the auction, the J4 license plate from the Channel Islands, which are located in the English Channel, fetched a price of $525,578.
It is a solitary example that follows the laws that are surrounding license plates in the United Kingdom, similar to the O 10 plate.
However, what makes this plate even more unique is the fact that technically speaking, it does not belong to the buyer but rather to the Channel Islands.
Instead, the purchaser paid for the legal right to affix the plates on their own vehicle. The diesel-powered official vehicle driven by Lieutenant-Governor Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton was the initial owner of the J4 plates.
Mr. Dalton has pledged to use the funds from the sale to buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle in fulfillment of his promise.
Have you any idea?
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a brief decrease in carbon emissions as a result of the quarantine and social isolation that ensued as a result of the pandemic.
10. 25 O UK Plate
- Origin Population: 1
- Number in existence: 1
- Background color: Yellow
Because of its stringent policies on license plates, the United Kingdom has become one of the leading providers of rare and valuable plates, including one of the rarest and most expensive plates that have ever been offered for sale in the United States of America.
Because it is a match for the Ferrari 250 GTO, which is one of the most expensive automobiles in the world, the license plate in this instance was able to sell for more than half a million pounds.
The lucky recipient was renowned antique automobile collector John Collins, who revealed to the media that he intended to install it on a 250 GTO that had previously been owned by legendary rock musician Eric Clapton.
Have you any idea?
In 1947, Enzo Ferrari, the company’s creator, and namesake, oversaw the production of the very first Ferrari automobile in Italy.
Top 10 Rarest License Plates in Existence [UPDATED]- Newshub360.net
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