1963 Pennsylvania Motor Boat License Plate, Last Year Used
$45.00
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1963 Pennsylvania Motor Boat License Plate, Last Year Used
$45.00
IMPORTANT NOTICE: SHIPPING IS NOT AVAILABLE.
ALL ITEMS ARE LOCAL PICKUP ONLY, DUE TO THE IRREPLACEABLE NATURE OF OUR INVENTORY.
ITEMS MUST BE PICKED UP WITHIN 25 DAYS OF PAYMENT.
Add a unique splash of local maritime history to your collection with this vintage 1963 Pennsylvania Motor Boat license plate. Issued by the Commonwealth for watercraft registration, this small-format industrial plate is a fantastic find for license plate collectors, nautical enthusiasts, or local history buffs.
Crafted from heavy-gauge stamped steel, this authentic plate features a bold maroon-red finish with embossed white lettering and a classic wavy-edge border. It displays the registration number 48613, the "MB 63" designation, and its historical expiration text, "EXP. 3-31-64." It comes complete with its original vertical rod mounting hinge mechanism still attached to the left edge.
Collector's Trivia Note: Boat vs. Bike
While the "MB" stamping on the left looks like it might stand for "Motor Bike," this is actually a dedicated Motor Boat plate. While Pennsylvania used the "MB" code for motorbikes in the 1930s and 40s, they officially transitioned motorbikes to an "MC" (Motorcycle) tag by 1950. When the state launched its watercraft registration program in 1955, they revived the "MB" designation to stand for Motor Boat.
Furthermore, 1963 was the absolute final year Pennsylvania ever issued metal hull plates for boats before permanently transitioning to vinyl registration decals. This makes this maroon tag a true "last of its kind" piece of PA transit history!
Product Details & Specifications
- Origin: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Year: 1963 (Expiration March 31, 1964)
- Type: Non-Passenger Motorboat License Tag (Final year of issue)
- Materials: Stamped steel, metal hinge bracket
- Condition: Good vintage condition. The plate is structurally solid with no major bends. It displays an authentic, honest patina with minor localized paint chipping, edge wear, and light surface oxidation consistent with its age and lake/river use over 60 years ago.
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These plates were mounted using a specialized vertical pivot bracket assembly that attached directly to the exterior hull of the watercraft.If you look closely at the left edge of your plate, you can see the original, factory-installed cylindrical metal sleeve and metal rod hinge mechanism. Here is exactly how the system functioned on a 1960s boat:
- The Transom Mount: The vertical bracket sleeve on the left was bolted directly to the flat wood or fiberglass transom (the stern/back) or onto the side of the hull near the bow.
- The Hinge Action: Because boats routinely bump into docks, pilings, and tree branches, mounting a small metal plate completely rigid would cause it to bend, snap off, or rip fiberglass out of the hull. The built-in pin rod allowed the plate to swing freely back and forth like a door hinge. If the boat brushed against a dock, the plate would simply fold flat against the hull and swing right back into position afterward. [1]
- The Removable Pin: The long pin passing through the sleeve could be pulled out. This allowed boat owners to easily remove the entire license plate at the end of the weekend to prevent theft or to swap out the plate when the new registration year arrived.