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| DELAWARE
Highest 1907-09 pre-state plate known: #984
1909 1065 - 1438 1930 5 - 44-720 1910 6 - 876 1931 5 - 47-999* 1911 19 - 1295 1932 5 - 46-648* 1912 1 - 1708 1933 1 - 47-875* 1913 3 - 2328 1934 5 - 46-380* 1914 1 - 3195* 1935 5 - 47-859* 1915 8 - 4690* 1936 5 - 50-796* 1916 20 - 6922 1937 5 - 52-905 1917 5 - 10665 1938 5 - 54-904* 1918 5 - 12942 1939 5 - 57-897* 1919 5 - 12264 3-31-41 3 - 59-365 1920 5 - 16255 3-31-42 5 - 63-874 1921 5 - 20701 1922 5 - 23-274 (Truck began 1923)
PASSENGER COMMERCIAL TRACTOR 1923 5 - 24-883 25-001 - 30-148 (none) 1924 5 - 20-000 20-001 - 23-885 (none) 30-171 - 38-584 1925 5 - 27-466 30-001 - 37-396* 37-801 - 38-000 45-038 - 47-548 1926 5 - 36-246 40-001 - 48-119 50-001 - 50-414 1927 5 - 39-492* 50-001 - 58-002 70-001 - 70-246 1928 1 - 49-837* 50-001 - 63-618* 1929 5 - 46-851* C 1 - C8-096 C9-500 - C9-800
1923-28: Commercial/Tractor plates have rounded sides. 1925: 47-509 highest listed in registration ledger. Commercial 37-396 highest listed in registration ledger; 37-801 - 38-000, later 37-601 - 37-688, issued to Tractors. 1929: Convertibles used passenger block 43-001 - 43-900.
1941-48 PORCELAIN BASE 7/15/41 "12-31-41" Type 1 5 - 75-999 (75,995 P) Jun.45 "9-30-45" Type 2 76000 - 77119 (1,120 S) Mar.47 "6-30-47" Type 3 77-125 - 86-999 (9,875 S) (TOTAL 162,990 S)
Description of Types: Type 1 - Delaware dies, hyphen Type 2 - New thin dies, no hyphen Type 3 - Pennsylvania dies, hyphen
Issued to new registrations only 7/15/1941 to 3/31/1942, with half-year expirations available, thus "12-31" and "41" tabs issued. Issued to renewals 4/1/1942, with all owners receiving the same numbers. #65-000 shown in News Journal (Wilmington) article on 7/15/1941. Highest numbers (somewhere between 63-874 and 75-883) issued first; "12-31-41" 66-316 seen. Front plates removed 1943-44. Highest pair verified: 71-923
1948-59 BLACK RIVETED BASE 4-1-47 "3-31-48" Type 1 4 - 131203 1-1-51 "12-31-51" Type 2 4 - 190000 2-1-58 "9-30-58" Type 3 4 - 185983
Description of Types: Type 1 - Stainless steel numbers on stainless steel base Type 2 - Reflective white steel numbers on aluminum or steel base Type 3 - Reflective white steel numbers on 6" x 12" steel base
#100000 issued by 4/27/1949 to former Governor Walter W. Bacon. Dormant numbers periodically reassigned as available 1948-present. #999999 reached May 1998.
1959-63 BLUE RIVETED BASE 10-1-58 "9-30-59" Type 1 1011 - 29423 10-1-58 "9-30-59" Type 2 11757 - 133905 10-1-58 "9-30-59" Type 3 4 - 192813 Dec. 59 "9-30-60" Type 4 4 - 163852 Jun. 59 "3-31-60" Type 5 4 - 213049
Description of Types: Type 1 - 5 1/2" x 11", steel, "DELAWARE" flattened, then screened Type 2 - 6" x 12", steel, "DELAWARE" flattened, then screened Type 3 - 6" x 12", steel, "DELAWARE" screened, straight leg "R" Type 4 - As Type 3, but aluminum Type 5 - 6" x 12", aluminum, "DELAWARE" screened, curved leg "R" (Palmer reports blue 150672 as 5 1/2" x 11")
1963-2020 FIRST STATE BASE 8-1-62 "JUN 63" Type 1 4 - 261347 Oct.68 "SEP 69" Type 2 4 - 999998
Description of Types: Type 1 - Riveted numbers, no border Type 2 - Flat, screened numbers, border, new colors Type 3 - As Type 2, but riveted numbers (replacements only)
All bases 1941-present currently revalidated. Exact reproductions of Porcelain and Black Riveted bases allowed starting May 1986, with only allowable difference being bolt slot location. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||