California 1987 Base Plate
1987–1992California · base
The plate that began the design California still uses, and it is worth looking at closely: the state name here is in embossed red block capitals, not the handwritten script everyone associates with the plate. That script does not arrive until 1993. This is the white base before it became famous. The plate shown is a reconstruction carrying an invented serial, so no real registration is depicted.
One plate, several years
This design served from 1987 to 1992 rather than for a single year. A plate that stays on a car across several registrations cannot date itself, so the year is proved separately, by a tab or sticker in the earlier period and by a windscreen sticker later. It is the opposite arrangement to the annual plates, where the plate WAS the registration.
Stamped, not printed
Every character here is pressed into the metal and stands proud of the surface, along with the raised rim just inside the edge. Run a hand across it and you feel the whole design. The plate was struck from flat stock in a press, then the raised faces were rolled with paint, which is why wear shows first on the tops of the characters.
Sources
Reference photograph of an issued plate of the immediately following base, which differs only in carrying script where this design carries block capitals (CC BY-SA 3.0, Jaycarlcooper). Issue period, serial format, and that the 1987 base carried block capitals rather than the 1993 script (CC BY-SA).
- Issued
- Standard issue
- The plate you received by default when you registered a vehicle.
- Serial format
- 9AAA999
- Material
- Embossed aluminium with reflective sheeting
- Source license
- CC BY-SA 3.0
- Reference
- View original