Very nice photo. I have a 1911 which is blue porcelain with white numbers and letters. Wonder if they were the same color in 1909?
The 1909 MN plate is white on red. I have a pair of them.
I don't know who the people are, but the driver looks a bit like Pres. Theodore Roosevelt!
Norm
Actually, it is silver on red. 1909 was the first year for state issued license plates in Minnesota.
My dad collects early Minnesota license plates and has the public directory for 1909.
Minnesota 1909 plate 1428 was registered to F.A. Edmunds of St. Paul for a Locomobile which is exactly the car you see in the picture.
Darel's plate 3950 was originally registered to F.W. Blomgren of Minneapolis for a Maxwell.
The original hand-posted ledgers through 1914 are in the reference library at the Minnesota Historical Society. If I looked up the registrations in the ledger I could probably also supply the serial numbers and/or models of the cars which were usually, but not always, recorded. Also, since the owners lived in St. Paul and Minneapolis, I could look them up in the 1909 city directories to see exactly where they lived.
Below are the lowest number 1909, 1910 and 1911 Minnesota plates that, to our knowledge, still exist.
1909 were issued in pairs, 1910 were issued in pairs and later as singles (because the law required only one plate to be displayed) and 1911 were issued as singles. As you can see, the 1911 is porcelain and pretty beat up; however, it's value is in the low number. Otherwise, there are many mint 1911 plates in existence.
Erik I was hoping you would respond.
Herb
Thanks guys. Its fun to learn something new.
Eric, my 1911 plate number is 6864 and is in fair condition. Small hole (maybe 22 cal) near the MN side and two small chips on the 1911 side.
Thanks for the interesting info.
Skip
Great photo Herb. The side lever steering makes it a 1901 or 1902 Locomobile. 1899-1900 Locomobiles had a central tiller. It would have been an antique even in 1909! Car design had improved a lot by then.
Andrew
Off topic, but I'd like to once again thank Mr. Herb Iffrig for selling me his Weaver Auto Crane!!! It looks awesome Herb!!!
Well Kevin I'm glad you are happy with it. And, I'm glad it went to someone who would go to the effort to restore it, and appreciate it. I hope to see a photo some day.
Herb
Ps. I want you guys to look at the 09-10 in the saw gummer photo. I couldn'tget it to post when I had 09-10 in the title last night and got in a hurry today.