Delaware's black-and-white license plates get their own accessory

Oct 17, 2024

In most states, you wouldn't look twice at a license plate on a car driving by unless it's a vanity tag, but that's not the case in Delaware.

It's here where a subculture thrives, fixated on low-digit tags that are worth thousands of dollars and are usually passed down across generations of Delawareans.

Most trade in the blue-and-gold license plate that the Division of Motor Vehicles issues for a historic re-creation of the black-and-white tags that the state used before moving to the more colorful variety in 1958.

And now, the cachet and prestige that comes with low-digit tags can be found on customizable coffee mugs, which have recently begun to be sold by the only company authorized by the Division of Motor Vehicles to manufacture official reproduction black-and-white porcelain and stainless steel license plates.

The Delaware Historic Plate Co. quietly began selling black-and-white coffee mugs in recent months for $24.99, allowing the customer to choose the number on the mug.

You can get an 11-ounce ceramic mug with your license plate number or even your birthday, possibly making for a very Delaware stocking stuffer around Christmastime.

The rules for the plates on the mugs are a lot looser than the actual plates, which sell for $120.

The mugs can be printed with not only a license plate number or birthday, but also a person's name or a business name – pretty much anything.

When it comes to the actual black-and-white license plates, you can purchase the Delaware Historic Plate Co. reproductions only if your tag number is low enough.

Only numbers 86999 and lower can be used for the black-and-white porcelain reproductions that harken back to the porcelain Delaware plates of the 1940s. And numbers 200000 and lower can be used for the black-and-white stainless steel reproductions that the company offers.

As for the mugs, they offer ones that depict both the porcelain and stainless steel tags.

And don't try anything too smart when it comes to what you want on it. As the website warns, "We reserve the right to deny and cancel any order which we deem inappropriate."

It's taken Delaware Historic Plate Co. 33 years to get into the novelty gift business. So why now?

Dave Miller, president and owner of Delaware Historic Plate Co., says it was his son's idea to try selling the mugs, which first became available three months ago.

"I told him we'd give it a try and if it works, he gets a pat on the back. We hope people find that they're interesting. People are really proud of their numbers here in Delaware," says Miller, whose soft launch of the mugs had no advertising behind it.

He jokes: "I don't think it's going to be the next Furby."

His Newark-based company, which is small and likes to stay under the radar even with its over-sized role in Delaware culture, may add more items to its online store, but Miller declined to unveil any of the possibilities.

Paul Roth of Lewes ordered a pair of mugs to match his black-and-white tags when he first learned they were being sold.

Now the Camden native has mugs bearing Nos. 6463 and 10360 displayed in his garage alongside other automotive goodies, such as historic hood ornaments.

Roth, 62, obtained No. 6463 through private purchase, but No. 10360 has sentimental value.

It was handed down to him on his 18th birthday by his father. When he had to move out of state for work, it was transferred back to his mother who used it until her death in 2015. It was then transferred back to him and is now affixed to his 1982 classic Buick Riviera.

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"So it's been on pretty much every car my family has owned for forever and a day," says the recently retired insurance claims superintendent. "We've had it a long time."

That's why when he saw the coffee mugs for the first time, he ordered them right away. It took only about a week for them to arrive at his home, where they were added to his collection of automotive collectibles. "I think they're pretty cool," he says.

The mugs can be purchased online at blacktags.com.

Have a story idea? Contact Ryan Cormier of Delaware Online/The News Journal at [email protected] or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier) and X (@ryancormier).