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Illustrated History of Connecticut License Plates
Joe Wasielewski - ALPCA Member 6996
Passenger 1905-1919
Passenger 1920-1929
Passenger 1930-1939
Passenger 1940-1949
Passenger 1950-1959
Passenger 1960-1969
Passenger 1970-1979
Passenger 1980-1989
Passenger 1990-1999
Passenger 2000-
Reserved Series
Low Number
Special Interest
Vanity
Passenger 1970-1979
White on blue plates continued on with the changes made in 1968. This style ran from the late FO- series through NZ-. In 1973, the date decals began a blue, green, black rotation, repeating the colors every three years. In 1974, the numbering series jumped to ZA- and was issued through ZF-. This was likely a stopgap measure used until the new Polyvend plates were available.

In mid-1974, the contract to produce Connecticut plates was awarded to Polyvend. The plates were now blue on a fully-reflective white background. A slogan of "Constitution State" was also added. These plates were issued from SA- to SZ-, PA- to PZ-, then TA- through TP-. These plates did not hold up very well, and were generally not well received by the public. In 1975 it was announced that these plates would no longer be purchased, and they were issued until the supply ran out sometime in 1976.

Following this, plates returned to white letters/numbers on a blue background. The numbers were now reflectorized, using glass beads on the white paint. The "Constitution State" slogan remained. This series picked up in the TP- or TR- series. I have seen the plates of the same number in the TP- series appearing on both Polyvend plates as well as the style which replaced it, issued in the late 1970s. I'm not sure why these plates exist in both styles.

Numbering continued on until ZZ-9999. After the WI- series, the letter 'I' was no longer used on general-issue passenger plates.


1970  1971
1970 1971
   
 1972  1973
1972 1973
   
 1974  1975
1974 1975
For some reason, ZA- through ZF- were issued out of sequence after the NZ series was finished.
   
zf  
ZF- series, revalidated to 1978
 
   
 Polyvend  Polyvend
The Polyvend plates started in '74 with the SA-SZ series. This one was renewed until 1980, and shows how quickly they deteriorated. These Polyvend plates didn't look *too* bad when
unfaded, uncracked, and unyellowed!
   
 1975  1976
1975 Polyvend.
After the SA-SZ series, PA-PZ were issued.
1976.
After PA-PZ, the T's began, which seem to have gotten up to around the TP series.
   
 1977  1977
1977 Polyvend remake of an older number.
I think this coloring is what happens to these
Polyvend plates when you bake them
at 350 for 20 minutes...
This plate also has a number of signatures
Meaning of them =?
1977, an earlier example of the white on blue plates that followed the Polyvend plates of '74-'76. These plates apparently started in the TP- series.
   
 1978  1979
1978 1979. Most plates in the
W*- series haven't held up too well - the white paint washed off.
Most today have very faded numbers.
The WI- series was the last general issue sequence to use the letter 'I'
   
wz  
This is the typical condition of most of the W- series plates which were used for more than just a few years.  
   
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