The difference between the two 1919 license plates shown at left is that the #2 would have originally been issued in 1918, and re-validated in 1919 with the renewal tab. The other one, plate #21388, was issued in 1919, and does not possess the embossed 1918 date stamp below the renewal tag.

Towards the end of 1919, once the supply of 1918 base plates and tabs had been exhausted, new registrants were issued very thin cardboard plates - one of the rarest of all BC license plates (see below for only known example).

The "Motor Vehicle Receipt" (above left) and "Registration Form" were submitted to BCpl8s.ca by Tom Bourne, who advises that it was issued to his grandfather, W. Cox.

As can be seen on both documents, they are date stamped the 15th of November, 1919, but of even more interest is that the "Motor Licence Number." (which is taken to be the number on the license plate) is shown as 21,722.

It is likely that by this time of the year, the supply of regular license plates had been exhausted and that the recipient would have received a temporary cardboard plate to see them through to 1920 and the issuance of a new base plate (see below).

What make the 1921 plate with matching tab one of the hardest BC's to obtain is the use of a similar tab in 1922.  As a result, when many motorists obtained their 1922 tabs, they simply discarded the '21 tabs. It is important, therefore, to look for a tab that matches the number on the 1920 base plate, such as the one pictured above.

It is also important to look for a tab that matches the number on the 1920 base plate, or if the numbers do match, to ensure that the base is an actual 1920 (and not the very similar looking 1918).

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