Rare License Plates Auctioned For Hundreds Of Thousands of Dollars

Turns out custom plates can pay off, literally.

An auction bidder just paid $170,000 for a license plate in the U.K. The plate in the spotlight features the number 0 10. What makes this noteworthy is that it was first issued to a man named Charles Thompson in 1902. Thompson used the plate until his death in 1955 and passed it to his grandson who passed away in 2017. With it being held in the family, this was the plates first time to market since 1902. This was also the 10th number plate to be issued in Birmingham.

In the U.K., the rights to registrations can be sold for market prices, and low numbers often trade hands for sky-high figures. With that in mind, this plate wasn’t even one of the top-dollar plates.

Back in September, the J 4 plate which was used by the Lt. Governor’s vehicle was sold for $500,000. Even crazier is the 25 O plate which was purchased by the owner of a Ferrari 250 GTO back in 2014 for $800,000.