History of the plate

License plates on vehicles used before the invention of automobiles. The first signs to the figures received horse-drawn carriages. And when the road came the machine, and their numbering was only a matter of time. The first officially registered number plate registered in Munich, this event belongs to 1899. Should be quickly tightened Paris (1900), New York (1901) and London (1903). Some sources indicate that it was the French were the first to mount plate numbers on cars back in 1893. To Russia, this innovation came in 1904, the first city where there were license plates on cars, was Riga. Alphabetic characters to digits were introduced later. This idea came up in 1901 by Rudolph Herzog businessman from Berlin, with the permission of city authorities have written to the figures the initials of his beloved Johanna Anchor. In our country, initially did not have a single standard for license plates. So, before the revolution in every city car went with the signs of various sizes and colors. In Moscow, for example, annually in conjunction with the passage of inspection issued new license plate, and their color is constantly changing. Old number they could leave themselves (they were covered with wall in the garage) and got a new city administration, payment of taxes. The registration number for metropolitan car was similar to cycling, but larger by several times. Square plates were mounted on the front and rear axle vehicles with laces, they drilled holes in the factory. But in such a way of fixing the drivers complained about - the number of hung out, scratching the ground, bent on the heatsink, lapping on the steering rod. After listening to the claims of the city of stagger on the manufacture of narrow and long plates with numbers that meet international standards. In 1930 the USSR motorization began to develop, so that by 1932 across the country have introduced a unified view of the plate - a white sign with black letters and numbers, under which designated region (dortrans). In this regard, the previous owners Gosznak shall, within six months to replace them with new ones. Such marks were given to the motorcycles and in some cases on tractors. This type of numbers issued before 1934. If the car was attached to the trailer, the rear license plate was attached to it. Were also introduced "transit" and "tentative" signs. A couple of years after the start of the first standard introduced a new model - a black plate with white letters, on which the region designated letter combination. For the numbers used 28 letters of the alphabet (all except "e", "th", "b", "s", "b"). For Moscow, identified several pairs of regional characters, but for 10 years, almost all combinations have been exhausted. Series of marks were divided on the appointment, so cars with the letters "MI" in the rooms are privately owned, but with the letters "AI" - or government official cars. In 1946 introduced a new type of license plate - a yellow sign with black letters. This sign is virtually identical to the previous one: the letters are smaller than the numbers, and were located in the upper left corner of the front plate and the top middle of the back. For the Moscow region have identified a series of letters from "VJ" to "yu", highlighting it as a separate region. License plate office machines series "MA", "minigap", "ER" and others were black with white characters. In buses and taxis appeared separate series - "MN" and "PE", respectively. Foreign diplomats were isolated car with a dark background and white letters. At the metropolitan passenger cars was fixed only the rear plate number. By the way, motorcycles were given rooms with the same letters and batches, so that the motorist could not meet the rider with the same number. But this kind of license plate ended in the late 1950's. Following standard enough for a longer period: in 1959, began manufacturing facilities with three letters and four numbers on a black background. Earlier, the yellow room, some time in the form of an order was changed to the new, but the process was not carried to completion - motorists and motorcyclists complained of red tape. In some regions, the yellow numbers issued before 1965. Sample 1959 was produced until 1982, somewhere on the road you can still come across this rarity. Even when this type of rooms was abolished, in the stock was still more than half of combinations. In Moscow, there were several series of license plate - the personal, service and goods. Private capital motorists getting any of the series with the letters "ALM" to "OIE", following in alphabetical order. Detached bus facilities ("MMA", "MMN"), taxis ("MMT", "MML", "MMM"). Among the special numbers of black highlighted a series of "MOS", mounted on their vehicles the government and party leadership. Motorcyclists and motopedistov also required to obtain a new license plate. But if the first is more or less regularly received plaques, the latter too carelessly regarded this obligation. Therefore, after some time, traffic police had given up on mopeds hand - gave permission to drive without license plates. Cyclists are also gradually stopped issuing multi-colored plates with numbers. The cars of other countries were attached white signs with black lettering, the first two numbers indicate the country code, otherwise they were identical to normal numbers. Moscow Olympics in 1980 left a mark on the license plate - specially for the event was introduced by a limited batch of white numbers with black lettering series "OLM". Cars with such marks are allocated for maintenance of the Olympiad. At this time all of the machines put to the account in another city, travel to Moscow was banned, and the metropolitan motorists significantly cut down the path of travel. So that the city can often be found napolirovannye cars and buses series "OLM", and also mark the taxi the Volga with white numbers series "MEB", on the doors of which sported the inscription "Podolsk. At the end of the Olympiad elegant white rooms have been replaced by the usual black. However, it gave rise to a new standard panels: the left of the figures began to write one letter, and the right - two. The first two letters transferred from the previous characters, and the latter is chosen depending on the destination of the vehicle. For example, a third letter to company cars began with "A" (Yar), and trucks - from "A" (NMR). The back plate of trucks had a square shape, a personal car - an elongated rectangle, and the service was to be found and he and the other kind. The first license plates were issued in Moscow, with characters from "A 00-01 MO" for private cars and the "M 00-01 NL for trucks. Changes have affected and tractor service - instead of yellow with black letters he began to give white with black letters. With trailers is the same story. Number of tractor and trailer differed form plaques - the first one was clipped the top corners, and the second - the bottom. For a while the letter "u" was allowed in the room, but then had to give up because of the similarities with "W". Until 1981 at the tractor room, still black, printed characters, "TP-R, and a trailer word" trailer ". Diplomatic cars drove with colored numbers, in which the symbol «D» stated their affiliation, and the following figures show the country code, which represented the owner - it's become a tradition even from the old standard. Sales and firms with foreign capital will be given numbers with the letter "M", the country code printed in the same way as in the diplomatic. The last sample plates was introduced in 1994, now they give out everywhere in Russia - a white plate with black lettering. Three letters and five digits, the last two digits - the area code. For the number selected, only 12 Russian letters, which can be replicated in Latin. Principle indicate the region code has been replicated in France. In some major cities of cars registered so much that the region issued a new number. For example, in the capital is gradually added several new codes - "77", "97", "99", "177", "199", and soon might have to enter a new one - "197".