Virginia 1969 Passenger issue. Virginia plates of this era were all numeric, with some overflow plates issued with an "A" prefix in years where registrations exceeded one million. From 1954 to 1972, plate colors alternated from white-on-black (even years) to black-on-white (odd years).

Virginia 1969 Passenger issue. This is an example of one of the aforementioned "A" prefix overflow plates, issued after the six-digit plates ran out at 999-999.

Virginia 1970 Passenger issue. White-on-black even year plate. Again, these plates were all numeric or single-letter prefixed. I had a heck of a time finding a decent '70 plate from Virginia, apparently it was a very bad paint year for the state.

Virginia 1970 Passenger issue. An "A" prefix for 1970. As the number of registrations steadily increased, the state issued more and more of these overflow plates each year.

Virginia 1971 Passenger issue. Another black-on-white odd year issue. This was the last year for all numeric or "A" prefix plates in Virginia. Several manufacturing variations exist on this base, including different metal stock (steel vs. aluminum), plates with and without outside borders and a short run of experimental reflective-backed plates produced in the 500-000 series.

Virginia 1971 Passenger issue. Here is one of the reflective 1971 plates mentioned previously. These were apparently issued as a test batch in the Richmond area to see how well the reflective material would hold up. Virginia didn't issue another reflective plate until the 1976 Bicentennial issue, so it's likely that they weren't entirely happy with the results of this test.

Virginia 1971 Passenger issue. One of the other variations of the 1971 Virginia base, this plate is a non-reflective aluminum issue with a raised border around the plate.

Virginia 1971 Passenger issue. As with previous issues, overflow A-prefix plates were issued after the series reached 999-999. For some reason, the outside border was removed again for the A prefix plates, resulting in a plate similar to the earliest all-numeric issues.

Virginia 1971 Passenger issue. 1971 was the first year the series extended past A999-999, at which point a new ABC-123 format was introduced. This series was short-lived, running only through the AAD series before being replaced with B prefix plates instead. This was possibly due to the commonwealth realizing the ABC-123 format would cause conflicts with the upcoming 1972 issue also using the ABC-123 format.

Virginia 1972 Passenger issue. Starting with this issue, Virginia plates were issued in an ABC-123 format. This was the last yearly issue for the state, and the last of the white-on-black even years rotation.

Virginia 1974 Passenger issue. Starting in 1973, these new plates were issued. Again, the format was ABC-123. These plates were issued from 1973 through 1979, and could be used through 1984 with stickers.

Virginia 1975 Passenger issue. Continuation of the 1973 series, this plate features a revised state-name die that is slightly wider than the previous one (look at the 'R' and 'G' for most obvious differences.) This version seems to have started in the early G series, although I've seen a few plates that suggest that there probably wasn't a clean breakpoint between the two.

Virginia 1976 Passenger issue. This optional, extra-fee issue was released in 1975 to celebrate the Bicentennial. It features a ring of 13 stars representing the original U.S. colonies, and a picture of George Washington. This plate was issued in an all-numeric format up to 500-000, and can still be used with proper stickers today. I kind of like the number on this one myself.

Virginia 1981 Passenger issue. In 1979, new plates with a screened background and wider dies were introduced. These were used concurrently with the 1973 bases through the end of 1984, at which point the 1973 bases were replaced. The numbering pattern on this base is hard to follow, as originally it picked up where the 1973 numbers had left off, but then some lower letter blocks from the 1973 series were reissued, and the letters I, O and Q were added later, so the order is not always sequential. These were issued through the end of 1992 and remain valid today.

Virginia 1989 Passenger issue. Continuation of the above series, this is an example of a later-issue plate using a couple of the previously skipped letters (I and Q in this case) in order to expand the number of available combinations on this baseplate. These efforts allowed the series to be extended through at least the end of 1992 before a new numbering format was necessary.

Virginia 1991 Passenger issue. Another of the above issues, by 1990 plates starting with Q had been reached, including this especially appealing combination.

Virginia 1994 Passenger issue. In 1993, the ABC-123 format was exhausted and new plates were issued in a seven-digit format. These plates used new dies that had previously been reserved for special issues, and eliminated the outside border of the plate. These plates were unique as they were issued starting at plate number ZZZ-9999 and worked backwards. This series would theoretically meet up with the optional Scenic base (which started at AAA-1000 and worked forward) in the middle somewhere, although at the current rate of issuance that would have taken several decades.

Virginia 1994 Passenger issue. At the ZXZ series of this sequence (again, working backwards from ZZZ), the baseplate was changed so that the state name was in all caps, using the same script as the Great Seal plate, Scenic and Heritage plates, and most other special issues. This remained the current plate design until July, 2002, when the series was replaced by a new issue shortly after crossing into the Xxx series. The latest series seen on these plates was in the mid "XYx" sequence. This particular plate has my ALPCA membership number in the serial, which is always kind of neat to see.

Virginia 2003 Passenger issue. Starting in July 2002, new registrants began receiving new plates which were identical to the previous series aside from the addition of a "400th Anniversary" caption at the bottom of the plate, flanked by the years "1607" and "2007." This slogan, the first in the history of Virginia general issue plates, of course refers to the upcoming 400th anniversary of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America. There are actually three variations of this plate, the first of which (pictured here) consists of an old blue baseplate with the slogan affixed as a celophane sticker at the bottom. The other varieties are detailed below. These plates were issued starting with the JAA series ("J" presumably for Jamestown) and are working forward through the alphabet rather than backwards as in the previous series.

Virginia 2003 Passenger issue. This is an example of the second variety of the Virginia 400th Anniversary plate, which also retains the blue state name but has the slogan painted onto the plate at the bottom. This version provides a far less detailed rendition of the ship graphic than the others due to the limitations of the paint rollers. Incidentally, the ship graphic is a mirror image line-art version of the same ship seen on the state's optional Jamestown plate.

Virginia 2003 Passenger issue. This is the third variation of this plate, with the state name in red and the slogan at the bottom printed as part of the reflective material. The ship graphic at the bottom is larger and more detailed on these issues as well. Production of these plates shifted back and forth between the second variation (blue state name, painted slogan) and this one starting around the "JAY" series and through the early "JDx" series. Therefore, plates of either type can be seen through that stretch, with no discernable pattern. Stock of the old blue blanks seems to have finally run out, though, as all reported plates from "JDD" forward have been made on this base.

Virginia 2007 Passenger issue. In 2006, early in the 'K' series of plates, Virginia released a modified version of the 400th anniversary plate. The Jamestown name and logo were added to the plate, with the slogan changed to "Jamestown - America's 400th Anniversary." These new plates were issued to new registrants only, with previous issues remaining valid for renewal.

Virginia 2009 Passenger issue. After 2007, the Jamestown anniversary plate was discontined and the state reverted to the pre-2002 plain base. Rather than continuing the serial sequence in the K series from the Anniversary plates, the series picked up where it had left off in 2002, in the high X series, again issued in reverse order.