1905-1911

1905

Newly elected Governor John McLane, in his inaugural address on January 6, dedicated a section of the speech both to a major initiative for the improvement of roads and for the licensing of automobiles. Concerning automobiles he stated:  “There should be a law regulating the use of automobiles. It should provide that operators be licensed and machines be registered. A reasonable speed limit should be established.” On January 11, Representative Brewster of Marlborough proposed an act “to provide for registering automobiles and motor cycles, and licensing operators thereof.” The next day, the bill was sent to the Committee on Ways and Means. Representative Kittredge of Milford submitted a similar bill, House Bill Number 9,  “to register, number and regulate speed, and licensing of operators of automobiles” which was also passed to the committee. On the 16th, yet another bill was introduced by Representative Couch of Manchester: “An act to regulate the use of motor vehicles on the highways of the state.”

The House Committee on Ways and Means created a new draft of the automobile bill which copied Massachusetts' automobile law  (Acts of 1903, chapter 473)  in nearly word for word fashion with several notable exceptions. The bill was finished on February 2. On February 7 the new Ways and Means draft of the bill was read twice and tabled so that it could be printed. Other pending automobile bills were killed in committee as duplicate measures. On Tuesday, February 14, the bill was scheduled for a vote at 11 o’clock and was passed without objection. The act was finally signed into law on March 10, 1905. While it was expedient to copy from the Massachusetts statutes, legislators were lobbied heavily by the Granite State Automobile Club for motorist friendly provisions. As reported in a letter to  the editor of The Automobile in April of 1905:  “We, the Granite State Automobile Club, made a hard fight to get as good a law as we have. Although it is not as favorable in some respects as we could wish, it is ‘less worse’ than those of some of our sister states.” The “less worse” provisions included allowing town selectmen to issue temporary permits to automobile meets for speed or endurance trials and allowing vehicles registered in other states to operate in New Hampshire without additional registration.

The 1905 Automobile Law

Chapter 86 of the Laws of 1905 was a comprehensive measure which dealt with all aspects of the operation and licensing of automobiles. Though it is only a few pages in length, it is dense with new regulations which are summarized below:

• All automobiles and motorcycles needed to be registered.

• Applicants had to register with the Secretary of State with their name, address, and a description of their vehicle.

• The registration fee was $3.00 for automobiles.

• The Secretary of State was to keep a book listing each registration.

• The Secretary of State was to assign "a distinguishing number or mark, which in all cases shall be followed by the letters N.H., and shall thereupon issue to the applicant a certificate of registration and shall furnish such applicant with two number plates or tags bearing the distinguishing number or mark of his vehicle, followed by the letters N.H. of such form as to be conveniently attached to the vehicle registered. The certificate shall contain the name, place of residence and address of the applicant, and the registration number or mark, and shall prescribe the manner in which such registered number or mark shall be displayed upon the vehicle, and shall be in such form and contain such further previsions as the secretary of state may prescribe. The certificate of registration shall always be carried in some easily accessible place in the vehicle described therein. A proper record of all applications and of all certificates issued shall be kept by the secretary of state in his office and shall be open to the inspection of any person during reasonable business hours. Upon the sale of an automobile or motor cycle its registration shall expire and the vendor shall immediately return the certificate of registration and number plates to said secretary or state, with notice of the sale and of the name, place of residence and address of the vendee."

• Drivers needed to obtain a license to operate a vehicle.

• Figures on license plates were to be no less than 4 inches in height.

• Registrations from other states would be recognized (an important provision, favorable to tourists).

• Vehicles required adequate breaks, a muffler, a horn (or a bell!), and lighted lamps if operated after dark.

• Lamps needed to have the license number displayed upon them.

• Speed limits were set at 20 miles per hour outside of town centers and 8 miles per hour within.

• Motorists were required to behave respectfully around horses.

• Fines for violating any part of the act were set at $10.00 plus court costs for a first offense, no more than $50.00 and the revocation of license for a second offense, and up to $100.00 and 30 days imprisonment for operating under a suspended license.

• Towns were permitted to temporarily license vehicles for demonstrations or races (another measure favored by motorists).

• The act took effect upon its passage on March 10, 1905 with a deadline of May 1 for vehicles to be registered.

Though the law took effect as soon as it was signed by the Governor, the Secretary of State did not begin registering vehicles right away. There was some lag between the passage of the law and the availability of license plates. Approximately 100 applications were received immediately upon the adjournment of the legislature with the first application submitted by James J. Tracey, Jr. of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Tracey spent his summers in New London, New Hampshire and, at the time, was believed to have been the first person to drive an automobile in the state. Evidently, the Governor felt that he should have the privilege of displaying the number 1 plates on one of his vehicles despite having been beaten to the punch. Negotiations ensued and the Governor was ultimately issued plate number 1 with Mr. Tracey receiving plate number 2 on April 4. Another special request was granted in the early issuance of numbers: State Senator Elmer S. Tilton of Laconia was issued number 13 without dispute.

1905 License Plates

With the passage of Chapter 86 of the Laws of 1905 Secretary of State Edward Pearson became responsible for the distribution of the state's license plates. It is not clear if there were preliminary contacts with vendors before the law was finalized, but the law was enacted on March 10, 1905 and the first registration was issued on April 4, just 25 days later. New Hampshire's first license plates were made of flat sheet steel blanks coated with baked porcelain enamel, a form of glass applied as a powder which melts and forms a durable surface at high temperatures. The plates were first covered front and back with a black ground coat of porcelain and baked to help the subsequent layers adhere. The fronts of the plates were then covered with a layer of white porcelain, which would later form the letters and numbers, and then baked again. Finally, the plates were covered with a layer of green porcelain, again only on the fronts. Before the plates were baked a final time, hinged stencils were used to define the areas intended to form the letters and numbers and the powdered green porcelain was wiped away exposing the white porcelain below. The plates all featured a small hole in each corner intended for bolting the plate directly to an automobile. Plates also included two slots along their top edge to allow the plate to be attached to any convenient portion of the automobile with leather straps. 

The first 500 pairs of plates have the number "45" hand painted in yellow enamel on their backs. According to the North Theory, a theory set forth by plate collectors in the 1970s who had examined numerous plates from various jurisdictions with these markings, these numbers indicate the month and year that the plates were manufactured: "45" indicates that the plates were manufactured in April of 1905. If the plates were indeed manufactured in April, it is hard to believe that physical license plates were being distributed on April 4. As plates were not required to be displayed until May 1, registrations may have been recorded with plates and possibly registrations mailed when they became available. 

On March 10, 1905 there were two New England states who's vehicles were displaying state-provided permanent license plates (Massachusetts and Rhode Island) and a third about to conclude the use of pre-state owner provided license plates (Connecticut). The plates from Massachusetts and Rhode Island have the same small hand painted number system featured on New Hampshire plates. It is believed that the Baltimore Enamel and Novelty Company of Baltimore Maryland was the manufacturer of all of these early plates. It makes sense that in addition to copying largely from Massachusetts' automobile law that New Hampshire would also work with the same license plate manufacturer.  First issue New Hampshire plates even maintained the same dimensions as first issue Massachusetts plates with the same number of digits: 5 1/4" tall X 5 1/2" wide for 1 and 2 digit plates and 5 1/4" tall X 7 1/2" wide for 3 digit plates. 

There were, however areas in which New Hampshire did not borrow from existing examples.  Massachusetts and Rhode Island license plates bore the legend "MASS. AUTOMOBILE REGISTER" and "REGISTERED IN R.I." respectively. While New Hampshire's registration cards included the term "AUTOMOBILE REGISTER," the state opted simply for the designation "N.H." at the bottom of its plates. The next month Maine would follow New Hampshire's example while later in the year Vermont ordered plates following Massachusetts' design. While the precise reason for this design is not known, the simpler designation allowed for larger letters in the state abbreviation, leading to a more legible license plate. It should also be noted that this design does not follow the letter of the law which dictated that the states' initials appear after the registration number, not below it. The legally mandated design may have been rejected out of fear that the letters would be confused as part of the registration number making the plates harder to read. 

Another distinguishing  feature of the New Hampshire plates was there color scheme of white characters on a green background. Massachusetts plates were white on cobalt blue while Rhode Island plates were white on black. The following month Maine would issue white on red plates and later that year Vermont would issue plates that followed Massachusetts' color scheme as well as its formating. The process of designing New Hampshire's first plates remains unknown. The legal standards for the plates were not particularly specific as to their design and in some respects were not followed. Presumably the Baltimore Enamel and Novelty Company played the largest role in the design of the plates, though Secretary of State Pearson, Governor McLane (who had already shown a great deal of interest in the automobile registration process), and other interested parties may have been involved in approving the design. No prototype or sample license plates are known from this period. 

A second batch of 500 plates was manufactured in May of 1905. These plates followed the same formatting as the previous batch, with a yellow "55" on the back of the plates serving as the only difference. The rush of registrations in the first month (332 by the May 1 deadline) may have convinced the state that more plates than anticipated would be needed. While registrations slowed, plates from the second batch were being issued before July 1.  Registrations slowed as the backlog of unregistered vehicles was cleared. It is estimated that registration numbers reached approximately 700 by December 31.

1906

New Hampshire's legislature did not meet in 1906 and there was therefore no opportunity to change the state's automobile law. There was also no distinction between 1905 and 1906 plates as they were all part of the same continuous series of permanent registrations. It has been estimated that passenger plates with numbers 700 to 1275 were issued in 1906, though the actual ending number may have been slightly lower. With only 575 or so passenger registration numbers issued, 1906 had the fewest new registrations of any year in New Hampshire's history. Because the number 1000 was near the middle of the series issued, 1906 is the most difficult year from which to find 3-digit or 4-digit passenger plates. Plates from the May 1905 batch continued to be issued early in the year. 4-digit plates numbered c.1000 to c.1200 were manufactured in June and were expanded to 9 1/4" in length to accommodate the extra digit. Beginning with this batch of plates the white layer of porcelain was not only applied to the front of the plate. A thin coating covers the back of the plate as well. This batch features a red "66" on the back. Plates numbered c.1200 to c.1400 were manufactured in August with the first 60 to 75 of these plates issued through the end of the year. These plates were again white backed with "86" appearing in red. These plates also exhibit a slight variation in their typography with the terminals of some digits, such as 3s, cut at an angle rather than the typical straight lines.  

1907

Though New Hampshire's legislature met in 1907 it did not institute any changes in the state's motor vehicle law. The same permanent white on green series of plates continued to be issued. As of April 6, 1907 registration number 1295 had been reached. Motorists continued to surrender their license plates when they sold their vehicles. Of the approximately 1288 numbers issued by April 6 (several number were skipped, likely due to defective plates), 207 had been surrendered. Of those 207, 24 had been re-issued, all to the same motorists who initially held the numbers. 

By May, another batch of plates was needed. While this batch likely started at plate number 1400 or 1401 it is not clear where it ended as plate number 1707 bears the red "57" of the May batch, plate 1720 appears to have a green "57," and plate number 1748 has the green "67" of the batch produced in June. The apparent irregularity of this lot casts some doubt on the presumption that other batches contained round numbers of plates. The June batch was small, comprising the number in the low 1700's up to approximately 1900. Another small batch of plates was produced in July comprising numbers from approximately 1900 to either 2000 or 2100, all marked with a red "77" on the back. Plate number 2016 carries no marking on its back. It is unclear if this represents a separate batch, or simply a plate missed in the marking process. The July plates carried the state through the beginning of 1908. The exact reasoning for orders of multiple small batches of a few hundred plates rather than one batch of several hundred or a thousand is unknown. 

By August 31, plate number 1902 had been issued and it is estimated that plate numbers reached 1975 by the end of the year for an approximate total of 715 new numbers issued. The Secretary of State's annual report indicates that 742 automobiles were registered between September 1 1906 and August 31 1907.

1908

The 1905 series of license plates and automobile laws continued unchanged through 1908. A new batch of 600 or 700 plates was produced in February as indicated the red "28" on their backs. By July 1 plate number 2422 had been issued and by August 31 numbers had reached 2590. In 1908 it was only necessary for the state to order one small supplemental batch of approximately 100 plates marked "108" in October (approximately numbers 2700 to 2800) to finish out the year. By the end of the year numbers had reached approximately 2725 for a total of about 750 new numbers issued.

1909

1909 saw edits to the state's automobile law under Chapter 154 of the Laws of 1909: "An Act Related to Motor Vehicles and the Operation Thereof":

• The cost of registering an automobile was increased from $3.00 to $10.00. 

• More significantly, registrations were no longer permanent, but instead expired on December 31 of each year. It was therefore necessary for motorists to pay the $10.00 fee each year.

• The tourist and motorist friendly provision that had allowed visiting motorists to drive in the state under their home state's registration was rolled back, limiting such activity to 10 continuous days after which it would be necessary to obtain a New Hampshire registration.

• Speed limits were increased from 8 to 10 and 20 to 25 miles per hours.

• Finally, any profits made in the registration of vehicles were to be used for road improvements under the direction of the governor and governor's council. 

The measure was passed on April 9th and took effect on January 1, 1910.

In 1909 the state Automobile Department was granted $600 for the purchase of license plates, $400 for postage, $100 for printing and $50 for incidentals.

In addition to changes in the motor vehicle law there were also minor changes in the design of New Hampshire's license plates. The state began the year by issuing the last 75 or so remaining plates from the October 1908 batch. It is unknown when the 1909 batch or batches of plates were ordered, but it was likely early in the year as registrations rose sharply. The new plates were the same color and general format as those previously issued, but they were 3/4 of an inch longer (5 1/4" X 10" instead of 5 1/4" X 9 1/4"), had sharp rather than rounded corners, featured zinc grommets in the corner mounting holes, and had slight variations in the font used, most notably in the angled rather than straight cut terminals of 2s, 3s 6s and 9s. Additionally, these plates bore a stamp on the back which read: 

"THE BALTIMORE ENAMEL & NOVELTY CO. 

ENAMELED IRON 

SIGNS 

FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES 

DRAWN AND STAMP WORK OF ALL KINDS 

BALTIMORE, MD."

For the first time, the manufacturer of New Hampshire's license plates was clearly identified. At the same time, the numbering system identifying the month and year of the plates' manufacture was discontinued. The new style remained uniform for approximate plate numbers 2800 to 5350. It is not, therefore, possible to identify the batches in which these plates were produced or when those batches were made. Presumably the state continued to order plates a few hundred at a time. The slight change in plate design is not taken as an indicator that the plates' manufacturer had changed. As stated above, the system of numbering found on the backs of previous plates ties them to the Baltimore Enamel and Novelty Company  as well.

Also for the first time, the end of the calendar year was an important cut off point for license plate registrations. As such, The Secretary of State produced a listing of those registrations issued between the normal August 31 report and the end of the year. It is therefore possible to determine that plate number 3853 was the exact last number issued in 1909 for a total of approximately 1,128 new numbers issued in the year, a jump of 50% over the previous year's new registrations.

1910

On January 1, 1910 all New Hampshire automobile registrations expired. License plates issued between April of 1905 and December of 1909 were no longer valid unless a $10 fee was paid to the Secretary of State. Those who did pay retained their old license plates. While January 1 was the official cut off date a notice posted in the March 28 Portsmouth Herald indicated that enforcement would not begin until April 1. While a new registration certificate was issued there were no tabs, sticker, or other devices attached to the plates or vehicles to demonstrate that the registration had been renewed.

New registrants were issued plates made in the same style as those of 1909 with nothing distinguishing one batch of plates from the next. By August 31, plate number 4871 had been issued. Again attention was paid to the December 31 cut off date for the year and it is known that plate number 4992 was the last issued in 1910 for a total of 1,139 new numbers issued. 

1911

On January 1, 1911 all New Hampshire automobile registrations expired again. As occurred in 1910, those who renewed kept their previous plates with no physical indication on the plates or vehicle that the renewal fee had been paid. New registrants were issued plates in the same style and continuing the same series of undated porcelain plates. 4993 was the first number issued to a new registrant in 1911. Plates continued to be issued from the last batch ordered by the state in 1910 up to approximately number 5350. At that point a new batch of plates was ordered. The new plates were the same size and format as the previous batch but featured a slightly different number font  typified by squared corners of the inside of numbers with loops, larger corner holes with grommets made of brass or a similar metal, and plain black backs. These license plates were produced by the Baltimore Enamel and Novelty Company's chief rival in the porcelain license plate business: The Ingram-Richardson Manufacturing Company of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. The best evidence for the change in manufacturer is the New Hampshire Auditor's annual report for 1911 which includes this line item: "Ingram-Richardson Mfg. Co., Beaver Falls Pa., number plates.. $187.00."  

The plates manufactured by Ingram-Richardson were produced in a consistent design featuring no distinguishing marks to indicate batches. It is likely that more than one batch of plates was ordered as the number of plates issued grew substantially in 1911. By May 5 number 6893 had been issued, already exceeding the quantity of new numbers issued the previous year. The August 31 Secretary of State Report lists plate number 7012 having been issued, but several lower numbers are not listed as having been issued, so it is unclear exactly why this number was assigned. August 31 is the last date for which we have registration lists for first issue license plates, but plate numbers higher than this have been observed. The highest confirmed number is 7132. It is unclear if this was ever issued or if this plate represents unissued stock left over at the end of the year.

The state legislature met again in 1911 and produced a new motor vehicle law, Chapter 133 of the Laws of 1911, which discarded the previous automobile laws from 1905 and 1909. The new law was passed on April 12 and took effect at Midnight on December 31. In addition to changing fee structures the new law also redefined the appearance and nature of New Hampshire's license plates. Starting in 1912 the era of permanent undated plates ended and new dated plates would be issued each year. 

Fisher Projections

In 1983 noted New Hampshire collector Josiah H.V. Fisher (ALPCA #2024) published projected cut-off points for each year of the first issue period. He included a margin of error indicating his level of comfort with each year's projection. They are presented below with updates based on exact cut off number which were not known in 1983. The 7132 number for 1911 assumes this was actually an issued plate.

Known Data Points

First Issue Batches

First issue New Hampshire license plates were ordered by the state in batches from the manufacturer as the plates were needed. The chart below is based on observation ad reporting by other collectors and is therefore incomplete and it is possible that other batches and other types of variation exist. For approximately the first 2800 sets of plates variation was limited to changes in size as the number of digits on the plates went up and changes in the coloration and markings on the back of the plates. The numbers marked on the back of the plates are thought to represent the date of manufacture by the Baltimore Enamel and Novelty Company with the first digit representing the month and the second digit the year (ie: 55 = May 2005). Plates from approximately number 2801 to 5350 show a great deal of uniformity, though they likely represent multiple orders of plates. These plates feature a large size, zinc grommets in the corner mounting holes, and a slight change in the font used on the numbers which includes an angling of the terminals of some numbers (see the number 3 in the plates illustrated above, also plates number 1331 and 1372 feature a similar font without appearing to be a replacement plate). Plates from approximately number 5351 on also show a great deal of uniformity though they likely represent multiple batches. While the same size, these plates again feature a different font, this time typified by squared corners of the inside of numbers with loops. These plates feature heavier grommets made of brass or a similar metal. These plates were manufactured by the Ingram Richardson Manufacturing Company.

Numbers Not Issued and Other Anomalies

Not issued: 300, 409, 410, 675, 737, 774, 1204

Numbers issued out of sequence: 1, 13