The date that license plates were first implemented in Texas is being acknowledged with the release of special plates just for such occasion. 100 years ago, was when motor vehicles began being plated, and to mark that occasion, on September 1, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will be introducing a specialty plate to recognize that milestone.
The first 100 Texans to purchase the plate will receive a pattern with “100” as the first three plate characters, followed next by three letters, commencing with “AAA” and moving on from there. They’ll also feature a center seal design evocative of the 1917 radiator seal, and the top corners of the specialty plates will include “19” and “17.” The plates will contain security threads as well as the word “TEXAS” on a white background just as it is on the current general-issue plate.
Photo: Facebook/Katie Huth Bokas
The technology used today for the development of license plates is a significant improvement from the process of earlier days in which Texas plates were produced via a die stamping process over top of sheet iron. The first 300,000 plates that were issued in the Lone Star State weighed so much that they had to be shipped via train and loaded up 20 rail cars. Today’s plates are produced on aluminum, without die stamping, which allows for increased efficiency. Our DMV presently offers 420 different plate designs, recently adding a number of new ones as a result of bills that have passed in the 85th Legislative Session.
Photo: Wikimedia
Available at a cost of $30 per year, these new commemorative plates will be available September 1, and no new orders will be accepted following August 31, 2018. According to Raymond Palcios Jr., TDMV Board Chairman, “Texans enjoy their license plates. The primary purpose of a license plate is public safety, but the specialty license plate program allows drivers to give their plates a more personal touch. Plate enthusiasts, collectors, historians and everyday Texans can commemorate this 100-year milestone by displaying a piece of plate history.” If you’re interested in learning more about these commemorative Texas license plates, visit TxDMV.gov.
References:
The Monitor
NBC DFW
