For a state run that doesn't include too much variety as far as fonts, materials, dimensions, etc., Missouri presents a very attractive run of old license plates. The colors really do it, up through the mid-1930s. But once they switch to black and white, they start varying the fonts. Few complete state runs of pre-War antique license plates look so nice. Best of the "Not-so- Old Missouri license plates: By the late '40s, the design latched onto the old white-on-maroon license plate color scheme like a Missouri mule. (Hey, buddy: 'SHOW ME' something different!) ...well, they did: The groundbreaking 1953 sticker. Missouri antique license plates of this era pioneered one of the biggest trends of license plates for the next few decades, and which still survives. Think about it: of ALL the stickers out there, (and we're not counting the '43 Ohio non-pass), Missouri's was the first. It even had a nice state outline.
Missouri has one more claim to fame as a license plate innovator: The first wartime fiber. License plate collectors don't usually count 1941 or '42 as a "war year", since by the time the US entered the war in December '41, those plates were coming off the cars, while the '42s were, for the most part, already manufactured. But due to shortage or otherwise, a small amount of 1942 Missouri license plates were produced in genuine vegetable fiber -- and dated a full year earlier than Illinois' famous '43 plate.
Toughest/Most Rare Missouri plates: Show me something as tough as that tough-to-read 1911, and I'll show you the 1912. Early Missouri license plates were made of two thin layers of sandwiched metal which were sort of crimped along the edge. The two thin layers were still not as strong as one regular embossed old license plate, so ridges appear on the back of the old auto tag to bolster the paltry structure. Worst of all, was when water got between the wafer thin layers. These poor old license tags just rusted. The 1912 is no slouch as far as rarity, and the paint wasn't the best either.
New & Old Missouri License plate slogans:
These are just humble opinions about various antique license plates! Your views on old Missouri plates may differ, and may even be correct(!)
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