12/03/11

Montana

PASSENGER - 1976 bicentennial base

Passenger:  Up to 1975, Montana issued either yearly plates or multiyear plates that are renewed for only one or a few extra years before a general reissue provided new plates for everyone.  Because Montana county codes the plates, the pages can get enormous to download.  I have a very nice (and large) selection of counties, so beginning with the 1976 bicentennial design plate, I have split the pages into the following bases, each being a link to my website page of that type:

Pre-1976 bicentennial base

1976 bicentennial base

1991 "Big Sky" base

"2000" base

2006 "Big Sky Country" base

2010 retro white/blue design

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1976 bicentennial base:  This design began in 1976, designed in honor of the U.S. bicentennial, and ran until 1990 (1991 expiration).  The plate number has the county code (see "Montana county codes" page) at the left, followed by a dot separator and the plate number.  After 1976, the plates were renewed with annual stickers, such as "77", "78", or "79".  Later in 1979, plates received stickers expiring on December 31 of the year of renewal, such as "12-31-79". 

"Type I":  There are two distinct die varieties on this design, but the varieties are only easily distinguishable if the plate number includes the number "1".  Early issues of this plate had the "1" as simply a straight line.  Later issues have the "1" with serifs.  For simplicity, I've only labeled the early issues as "type I" on plates that have that straight line "1".

1978 (blue & red/reflective white) Blaine County type I natural vg $3.00 "24-3196" (11626)

1984 (blue & red/reflective white) Ravalli County vg $3.00 "13-24770" (11628)

1991 (blue & red/reflective white) Missoula County natural vg $3.00 "4-193628" (11432)