Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Was it typical for the selling dealer to not stamp their info or the sale date on the data plate? The vehicle number is stamped.

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I believe most dealers did their best but blank plates did happen. Also, the missing info was sometimes not engraved or hard stamped but only put on with a stamp pad and ink. The ink was supposed to be indelible but who knows if the dealer followed the rules and used the Packard suggested kit. Even if it was indelible, after all these years the ink could have just been washed or worn away.

I'm going to disagree with HH56, in my experience in examining perhaps a thousand or more patent plates, of those where the selling dealer and delivery date are filled in (perhaps 50-60%), the vast majority of these are actually hard-stamped into the plate. Except for 1938, ink-stamped dealer info is very uncommon.

Of course the vehicle number was stamped at the factory as part of the car build. Dealers were to add their info and the delivery date which was important as it identified the start of the warranty period.

My original VIN plate, which I still have, was rubber stamped by Earle C Anthony. I reproduced the rubber stamps for my repro VIN plate.

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For your interest. Obviously not all dealers availed themselves of this equipment.

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And another stamp set using ink which was first intended for the decals. During the depression I would imagine a dealer buying a stamp set would try and get more than one year of use out of a tool and might have kept using it when Packard went back to metal plates.

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