DA 1720

While doing research for older vehicles a few years ago I found something interesting. When I was looking up how much the title, tax and license would cost for an older vehicle I found that in the State of Illinois if you are running antique plates on your vehicle you can actually run a plate that is from the year your car was built. According to the Illinois Secretary of State website:

Historical License Plates, representing the model year, may be displayed on an antique vehicle, provided the owner has valid, current Antique Vehicle Plates. Plates and registration must be kept in the vehicle at all times.
This reminded me of the fact that I had brought home a stack of license plates from my parents house that had been saved over the years. These plates were originally on my grandparents and parents cars in the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. My grandmother had "personalized" plates way back then and I always wondered how that happened. According to the history page on the Secretary of State website, in 1961 the state started using a new numbering system.

Based on a study of the license plate numbering system, the state discontinues the use of the straight numerical numbering system. Digits are now used on the first 999,999 passenger license plates, and a combination of two letters and four digits are used for all remaining passenger car license plates.
My assumption is that my grandmother found out about this and wanted to get her initials and number of her address on her license plate - DA 1720. My dad even remembers standing in line for my grandmother to get the lowest numbered plates possible. Around 1980, to save costs, the State of Illinois started making license plates for a vehicle one time and then issuing a sticker each year instead of making different colored license plates for each vehicle every year. If you're interested in the history of Illinois license plates go here to read more information.

Now, instead of collecting dust in the basement, the plates that my grandmother ran on her car back in 1967 are now at home on my 1967 Mercury Cougar. Thanks Meme Dee!