Vintage License Plates — Michigan & California, Choose Your Plate (Vintage & Found)
Vintage License Plates — Michigan & California, Choose Your Plate (Vintage & Found)
Vintage & Found · The Foundry
Six plates. Five decades. Michigan and California. Choose yours.
A collection of original vintage license plates — four from Michigan, two from California — each one a different year, a different color, a different slogan. Select the plate you want from the options below.
1965 Michigan — Water-Winter Wonderland — WL·3932 — $38
Blue-gray ground, yellow lettering. The transitional slogan year — Michigan briefly used Water-Winter Wonderland before settling on Water Wonderland alone. Unusual and underrated.
1969 Michigan — 6090·EE — $25
Red ground, white lettering. No slogan — Michigan plates in 1969 ran without a tagline. Clean and honest.
1971 Michigan — Great Lake State — NPK·619 — $28
Red ground, white lettering. Clean condition. Michigan switched to Great Lake State in 1968 and kept it for decades.
1979 Michigan — $18
Yellow ground, white lettering. A later-era Michigan plate in honest worn condition — the kind that ends up in a barn and comes back with a story.
1974 California — RRY·173 — $45
Black ground, yellow lettering. Original 1973 and 1974 registration stickers present. The California black plate is one of the most iconic American license plate designs ever issued — this one has the patina to prove it.
1970–71 California — YRA·502 — $55
Black ground, yellow lettering. Both original registration stickers present — green 1971 and orange 1970. Two years of California road life, still on the plate.
Each plate is one of a kind. Contact us at 248-568-6030 if you have questions about a specific plate before purchasing.
Pickup & Shipping
- Available for local pickup at The Foundry, 35 W Huron Street, Suite 101, Pontiac, Michigan
- Shipping available — packed flat for transit
Returns
All vintage sales final.
Shop online or visit The Foundry at 35 W Huron Street in downtown Pontiac.
Sold By
The Foundry
Downtown Pontiac, Michigan · Historic Riker Building
The Foundry is a curated creator marketplace, vintage mercantile, and media studio inside the historic Riker Building in downtown Pontiac. Every piece on this page was selected, documented, and listed by The Foundry team.
Visit The Foundry →Vendor profile is updated per product for third-party vendor items.
Getting It Home
Local Pickup
Free local pickup available at The Foundry, 35 W Huron St, Suite 101, Downtown Pontiac. Select Local Pickup at checkout. We'll confirm your pickup window by email.
Shipping
We ship across the United States. Rates calculated at checkout based on weight and destination. Vintage and fragile items are packed with care. Tracking provided on all orders.
Returns
Vintage, artifact, and one-of-one items are final sale. New and print-on-demand items may be eligible for return or exchange within 14 days.
View Full Policy →Condition
Honest assessment.
Condition is noted honestly. Minor wear consistent with age is expected and part of the character of vintage and found objects. Any significant flaws are described in the product notes above.
Active condition badge is set per product.
Specifications
The details.
Category
—
Dimensions
—
Materials
—
Era / Date
—
Maker / Brand
—
Origin
—
Condition
—
Specifications are added per product.
History & Provenance
Where it's been.
Provenance, previous ownership, era of origin, and any documentation or markings that help establish this piece's place in time.
History content is added per product.
The Story
Why this piece exists.
Every piece at The Foundry has a reason to be here. This is where we tell you what it is — the moment it was made, the hands that made it, and why it matters now.
Story content is added per product.