Politics... and Low-Number License Plates, Part II

Nov/Dec 2021 edition
Issue #19 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
Photos and story by Michael Wiener

Governor #1 Plates from US Territories/ Possessions/ NWT Canada Premier / Presidential plates from Haiti, Guatemala, El Salvador: Some Rare Governor plates from US Territories and Possessions; Northwest Territories Canadian Premier bear shaped, and Presidential plates from Haiti, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Politicians and elected officials have for many years sported colorful special low-numbered plates, some of which are illustrated here and are very sought after by collectors. In most states the No. 1 plate is assigned to the Governor’s limousine, while No. 2 is provided to the Lieutenant Governor. North Dakota has a unique approach to providing low numbers to their elected officials, as their Governor gets plates No. 1 and 5, while the state’s senior U.S. Senator receives plate No. 2, the junior U.S. Senator gets plate No. 3 and the lone at-large Congressman is issued plate No. 4. The Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota receives plate No. 6. 

California complete set of all Political Plate types: Included here are Gov. Jerry Brown’s #1 Governor’s conference plate, plates for both U.S. Senators, Members of the U.S. House, and State Assembly (with “A” prefix) and State Senate (with “S” prefix).

Special plates are issued to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and to members of the state legislatures in most states. However, heightened security concerns in recent years have resulted in many elected officials no longer using these distinctive plates, as they do not wish to be a target or to stand out in traffic or a parking lot. Out of an abundance of caution, the U.S. Secret Service and Capitol Police discourage elected officials in our nation’s Capital from attaching these very distinctive plates to their personal vehicles.  
 
Plate collectors today who specialize in low numbers often see the plates they pursue selling for $100-$500 ea., or more, and values continue to increase, as they have become great investments – especially when they are paired with provenance. Governor’s No. 1 plates from the 1920s and ’30s can bring $1,000 to $2,000. Those vying for these plates are not limited to license plate collectors, but include those who specialize in pursuing political memorabilia. Most U.S. Presidential libraries include the license plates assigned to the presidential limousine or used by the President at his personal residence or winter retreat. 

New Mexico Governor’s Plates: Extremely Rare 1945 New Mexico State elected official plates issued to the Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State and Speaker of the House. Interesting that two officials would be both issued the same #3 plate.

President Carter autographed Inaugural #1 Plate: Framed Autographed Presidential photo from the Jimmy Carter Inauguration with the author and President Carter during an Albuquerque visit.

At a recent auction, several of the Georgia special plates bearing the initials “FDR” and “FDR 1,” once used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt at his Warm Springs, Georgia, winter home, sold for $10,000 each. For many years the government of Washington, D.C., reserved the plates numbered 100 and 101 for official vehicles used by the President, and plate No. 111 was reserved for the Vice President. Inaugural plates have been produced every four years since 1933, with No. 1 going to the Presidential vehicle and No. 2 to the Vice President; these were typically used only in the Inauguration Day motorcade.

Oregon Political Plates: Twelve different Oregon rare political types...including #1 Governor, #2 Secretary of State, both U.S. Senators, Senate President State Senator and State Representative legislative plates... and one for the “Speaker of the House”.

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston proudly has on display D.C. Inaugural plate No. 1 from 1961, which adorned JFK’s limo on January 20, 1961. The pair of actual plates that were attached to President Kennedy’s open Lincoln on that fateful day in Dallas, Nov. 22, 1963 –  D.C. plates numbered “GG 300” – was sold Nov. 2015 for $100,000 to a presidential memorabilia collector. This remains the record ever paid for a collectible plate (with no rights to use).

Hawaii Political Plate Types: The Governor of Hawaii receives plates STATE 1 and STATE 01, while the Lt. Governor gets STATE 2. Also illustrated, are the plates for US Senator and US Congress.

Where do I find low-numbered plates? I travel a great deal to plate meets all over the country, and I write thousands of letters a year to people who have the specific plates I desire. Among my favorites are those that belonged to and were actually used by governors in the 1920s and ’30s – especially the 1935 Territory of Hawaii No. 1 plate.
Michael Wiener

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