Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia > Northern Virginia
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 03-22-2012, 01:21 PM
 
Location: Fredericksburg, Va
5,404 posts, read 15,943,749 times
Reputation: 8093

Advertisements

Mine starts with a J, too!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 03-22-2012, 05:09 PM
 
Location: The Mountains of AlaBAMA!
300 posts, read 603,808 times
Reputation: 170
Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetAsRain View Post
I've seen lots of new plates starting with a "W".

Apparently i'm a nerd too..i can memorize plates like its no one's business. I remember some from my childhood.

NERD!!
So glad I'm not the only one!

Once VA changed from the 73 series (I think) plates (from LLL-NNN), they went to the 93 series, which were LLL-NNNN. They started with Z in the early 90s, then went to Y plates by the late 90s, and X plates after that. I believe they've recently started on W.

With the advent of the Jamestown anniversary plates, these started with J and then K, until the Jamestown standard issue plates were phased out.

Every specialty plate that isn't personalized has its own set of unique identifier letters, for example, Horse Enthusiast plates are HE, HN, etc.; Unlocking Autism plates are UA, AU; Swallowtail plates are BF, FB (for the butterfly picture on them), Knights of Columbus plates are KC, etc.

Because the mountain and cardinal plates were the earliest "specialty" plates offered by the state, these had their own lettering schemes that didn't necessarily follow the same pattern as the newer ones.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-22-2012, 05:25 PM
 
Location: Metro Washington DC
15,402 posts, read 25,672,841 times
Reputation: 10404
In 1997, when I moved here, it seemed everyone had Z plates. I've still got mine.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-22-2012, 05:42 PM
 
4,709 posts, read 12,632,238 times
Reputation: 3813
I miss the old days when a new plate was issued every year....they had the year embossed into the metal. ALL Virginia plates expired on April 15 and the plates alternated between white background/black numbers* one year, and black background/white numbers the next. * all numerals back then except for some with an "A" prefix.

With the different paint scheme every year....one stuck out like a sore thumb if one had expired plates!

I remember "tag day" when I was a kid. One of my dad's many enterprises was a string of Texaco service stations....On April 15, the little old ladies would line up for a block to have their plates changed. I remember how my wrists ached after all day out there putting plates on. (Dad offered this service at no charge....but I did get a quarter tip now and then. LOL)

I wish we knew that those old plates would be worth money one day....I threw thousands of sets in the dumpster!

Fortunately, we did keep the original 1967 plates for dad's '67 Corvette....and she still sports them to this day, including the 1967 Fairfax County tag...not sticker...TAG. They were were metal too, but much smaller, with the same paint scheme as the State plates, and you bolted them onto the front State license plate. The old County tags are pretty rare...wish I'd saved a bunch of them...

The last year of this style plate was 1972.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-23-2012, 06:56 AM
 
Location: Springfield
2,765 posts, read 8,302,735 times
Reputation: 1113
Quote:
Originally Posted by car54 View Post
I miss the old days when a new plate was issued every year....they had the year embossed into the metal. ALL Virginia plates expired on April 15 and the plates alternated between white background/black numbers* one year, and black background/white numbers the next. * all numerals back then except for some with an "A" prefix.

With the different paint scheme every year....one stuck out like a sore thumb if one had expired plates!

I remember "tag day" when I was a kid. One of my dad's many enterprises was a string of Texaco service stations....On April 15, the little old ladies would line up for a block to have their plates changed. I remember how my wrists ached after all day out there putting plates on. (Dad offered this service at no charge....but I did get a quarter tip now and then. LOL)

I wish we knew that those old plates would be worth money one day....I threw thousands of sets in the dumpster!

Fortunately, we did keep the original 1967 plates for dad's '67 Corvette....and she still sports them to this day, including the 1967 Fairfax County tag...not sticker...TAG. They were were metal too, but much smaller, with the same paint scheme as the State plates, and you bolted them onto the front State license plate. The old County tags are pretty rare...wish I'd saved a bunch of them...

The last year of this style plate was 1972.
are you my dad
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-24-2012, 08:26 AM
 
Location: Arlington, VA
182 posts, read 539,047 times
Reputation: 113
What do you all think of the font VA uses on their plates? Personally, I think it's kind of ugly! I'm a big fan of the fonts on CA and GA plates =)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-24-2012, 08:58 PM
 
Location: The Mountains of AlaBAMA!
300 posts, read 603,808 times
Reputation: 170
Quote:
Originally Posted by eastli84 View Post
What do you all think of the font VA uses on their plates? Personally, I think it's kind of ugly! I'm a big fan of the fonts on CA and GA plates =)
Aww, I actually kind of liked it. The serif font is much different than many other states and seems elegant. Better than the sans serif fonts of the older VA series. If they change anything about the plates, they should go with a lighter, composite plate instead of the metal and flat/screen-printed letters/numbers like some other states, though.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-26-2012, 10:32 AM
 
Location: New-Dentist Colony
5,759 posts, read 10,681,631 times
Reputation: 3952
I think there's WAY, WAY too much clutter on license plates nowadays.

I remember, growing up in TX, the plate just said "TEXAS" in black capital letters. That's it. 'Nuff said. Now (as one can see via the link CDMurphy helpfully posted), it's this ridiculous pastiche of oil derricks, cowboys, the space shuttle, the state flag--I'm surprised it doesn't also have David Crockett riding atop Shamu while eating a pecan pie and shooting Santa Anna, who's busy picking bluebonnets. (Though a simple plate *shaped* like the Alamo would be super cool!)

I don't think the current Virginia plates are nearly as bad, though I think there are too many designs and colors. Since when did a plate become an outlet for self-expression?

Quote:
Originally Posted by VRE332 View Post
are you my dad
Um, I don't think you meant this the way it came out---! Better call up Mom and apologize, kid.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 03-26-2012, 10:45 AM
 
Location: The canyon (with my pistols and knife)
14,172 posts, read 22,619,508 times
Reputation: 17334
Cars with license plates that begin with "X" are driven by people who have been targeted for systematic execution by the ninja biker gangs that have infiltrated the state government in Virginia.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Virginia > Northern Virginia

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top