Original Listing Description

eBay The 1916 Honolulu offered here today is a white on red porcelain license plate in all original condition. #1216 was clearly issued and shows signs from use. It was then discarded and more recently dug out of the ground. Hawaii began pre territory registration in 1912 before the territory issued license plates in 1922. Hawaii did not become a state until August 21, 1959 and therefore the first state issued license plate of Hawaii is considered the 1959 plate. Hawaii’s pre territory issuance period is extremely complex and fascinating. The registration process was actually ran on a county specific basis with some territory level oversight. In 1915 and 1916, the counties of Hawaii and Honolulu opted to get professionally made porcelain enamel license plates to issue to their motorists. This 1916 Honolulu County #1216 was manufactured by the California Metal Enamel Company in Los Angeles, California (Stamped on Reverse) and is one half of a known pair. Measuring 5 1/2” tall x 14” wide this 1916 Honolulu displays nicely in all original condition. Unfortunately, metal corrosion has taken place - most notably on the left edge from all of the time the plate spent underground. This license plate and its mate were acquired from the rough by Eric Taylor (ALPCA #4456) in 2022 and subsequently sold on consignment by myself. Condition Report:#1216 is in structurally sound original condition. The plate lays flat. The plate features scratching and period era wear all throughout. Most notably, the plate features significant metal loss on the left edge. At the widest point this metal loss amounts to 1”, clipping off the bottom left edge of the “H”, top left edge of the “1”, and causing the loss of the top left corner bolt hole. In addition to the significant metal loss mentioned above, front side areas of note are listed below. -13” of continuous top side edge wear. This wear dips at most 1/4” into the plate.-5 1/2” of continuous left side edge wear. This wear dips at most 1/4” into the plate. -14” of continuous bottom side edge wear. This wear dips at most 1/4” into the plate. -Significant stress fractures in the “2” and “6”.-1” x 3/4” enamel chip above “HON” to the right of the upper left slot.-Enamel chipping surrounding top left slot.-Enamel chipping surrounding top right slot.Despite these issues, this plate displays well considering the harsh conditions it has lived through. With documented examples totaling in the low 30 range, many of which have been dug up, #1216 sits in the area of #15 in terms of best known quality. The license plate features wear including scratching, enamel loss, and rust resulting from period era use, aging, and storage. Please see the additional photo section to inspect the item of interest in detail. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I ship with care - typically on Saturdays. I ship well protected via fully insured priority mail. I happily combine shipping if you purchase multiple items. I can also deliver for free to any swap meet I am attending. Per eBay requirements, this license plate is more than three years old and is expired. This license plate is being sold for collectible display purposes. Once paid for, you will receive the exact item in the displayed photographs. Due to the unique nature of each item that I sell, returns are not accepted.I am always looking to add early license plates into my personal collection. I will buy individual items or entire collections. I pay and pick up promptly. Many of the items being sold on my eBay page are on CONSIGNMENT. Please feel free to reach out if you are interested in CONSIGNMENT options. I sincerely appreciate your support. Koby M. VinokorALPCA #11725Hindsight Antiques (Condition: Pre-Owned)

Note: This item has been sold and is no longer available. This page serves as a historical price reference for collectors and appraisers.