What’s in a number plate?

Press, 12 July 1988, Page 10

What’s in a number plate?

I once worked with a colleague who had the misfortune to have received her early education during a period when it was not considered necessary to burden children with the chore of memorising the alphabet. A simple request for a telephone number caused consternation which would have been even further compounded had the directory been listed in the old Greek and Roman method of indicating numerals by combinations of letters. This system served well for centuries but things must have been greatly simplified by the introduction of Arabic symbols in the Middle Ages. Life without instant recall of the A.B.C. must be difficult enough but at least we can be grateful to the Arab world for the symbols which facilitate our recognition of numbers. Not being mathematically minded I have never thought too much about numbers or the' symbols representing them. But recently I enjoyed meeting a local collector whose home, garage, shed and any other available space were almost completely devoted to a collection of numbers in the fornr of motor registration plates. The family car is such an essential accessory to everyday life in what are known as the “developed” areas of the world one should not really be surprised to discover such an accumulation. Still, I was amazed at the variety and historical interest of this well organised and displayed collection. It contained things long forgotten but immediately familiar, bringing back many memories.

Dave Howell, of 41 Gibson Drive, Sockbum, has been gathering up number plates for some years. Eight years ago he established a “Kiwi Number Plate" Club” which now has 30 members in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States and Switzerland. Newsletters are circulated to all members every two months, and Dave would be pleased to hear from others interested. To the uninitiated a number plate is just that. One looks much like another, but the keen collector sees infinite variety. At one time the city of registration was indicated by letters — CH for Christchurch, D for ' Dunedin. Light vehicles

such as small trucks or vans had plates bearing the letter L, large truck plates bore an H while trailers for some reason were branded R.

Tractors also required to carry plates had an E, buses and other passenger carrying vehicles known as service cars were marked P, while all Government motor vehicles were stamped with the letters GVT.

During the 1930 s letters from A to Z were added to plates to indicate the respective weights of all vehicles.

Except for the years 1925 and 1926 when they were made in California, New Zealand number plates were made here, including those for use in

the Cook Islands. Before 1925 motorists enjoyed a choice of plates.

For those not so well situated financially there were plates with the registration number just painted on. For others wishing to display a little more wealth, aluminium plates with cast numbers were available. Both types are now keenly sought by collectors.

In 1927 production was resumed in New Zealand. A different colour was used each year, probably to facilitate the identification of motorists who had not paid the annual registration fee. Dave Howell’s interest is world wide. He has a complete set of the present plates known as the “A” series, in use since 1966 in New Zealand; a German plate shaped like a rugby football, presumably for export cars; a north-west Canadian plate in the form of a polar

bear; a number of Japanese plates and souvenir plates made in New Zealand for cars used in Antarctica or by Antarctic staff here.

There are also plates for motor-bikes, including special ones for the use of learners. No doubt these were intended to minimise the risk of accidents, but I suspect that most would have occurred before one had time to note that the driver was a learner.

Like most dedicated collectors Dave also gathers up related objects discovered in his continuing search, which sometimes involves participation in what is known as “Industrial Archaeology” (investigation beneath the surface of former industrial sites by approved methods).

In addition to registration plates discovered in this way he has also found in good condition adver-

tising signs made from porcelain on iron, one for the Bristol Piano Company and another for Mellin’s food. All thfese were often used at the base of fences to discourage the growth of twitch.

He also has some of the old fashioned petrol pumps once known as “bowsers.” One particularly attractive pump has a large glass lamp at the top in the shape of a shell and was obviously used for the distribution of Shell petrol.

The following statistics give some idea of the volume and variety of plates available if the

hobby is pursued worldwide. All the states in Australia and the United States have their own registration plates — Texas alone has 40 different types including those for trucks, house trailers, farm trucks, and church buses.

Add to these the many specially designed plates to appeal to tourists and collectors, and the personalised plates available in many places and now also in New Zealand and there is immense scope for those interested. There are also some helpful books including “All about Licence Plates” a survey of North American plates by Roy Carson of Arizona. “D’ou vient cette Voiture” describing the plates of Europe and Francophone countries if you can read French, and “Registration Plates of Europe and the World” by Neil A. Parker if you are a glutton for statistics.

Further information may be obtained from Dave Howell, telephone 499-617.

Amazing variety and historical interest

Colkctiruj

with Myrtle Duff