British Columbia Reproduction License Plates

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1914
Seen on eBay in 2022, the No. 130 was described by the seller as follows:
Better than nothing!  This is a 1913 British Columbia license plate, made in Thailand. It's NOT GENUINE made of thick IRON(STEEL) sheet printed and coated with very thick layer of automobile grade lacquer (2K) so it provides porcelain look, scale 1:1.
We understand this to mean that it is not a porcelain plate but is simply a sticker that has been applied to the pre-cut metal base. The No. 3355 is also understood to have been made in the same way.

1914
Seen on eBay in 2022 and described by the seller as follows:
Better than nothing!  This is a 1914 British Columbia license plate, made in Thailand. It's NOT GENUINE made of thick IRON(STEEL) sheet printed and coated with very thick layer of automobile grade lacquer (2K) so it provides porcelain look, scale 1:1.
We understand this to mean that it is not a porcelain plate but is simply a sticker that has been applied to the pre-cut metal base.

1915
The 1915 plates shown below (i.e. Nos. 1 & 8) appeared on an internet auction site in 2015 and are reproductions originating in Thailand. The No. 1278 showed up in 2020 and the 1525 in 2022. The base material is tin that has been molded in the same fashion as the originals, but that the front of the plate is a printed sticke:

1916
The 1916 plates shown below (i.e. Nos. 2, 5, 19 & 79) appeared on an internet auction site in 2015 and are reproductions originating in Thailand. The No. 525 showed up in 2020. The base material is tin that has been molded in the same fashion as the originals, but that the front of the plate is a printed sticker:

1917
Some 1917 reproduction (re "fake") license plates are easier to spot than others, but usually require that you hold the plate in your hands in order to appreciate the difference as opposed to trying to make a determination based upon an on-line photograph.
The No. 7442 (below) appeared on an internet auction site in 2015 and, while we were not able to inspect it in person, we believe it to be similar to other reproduction BC tins originating in Thailand in that the base materials are tin molded in the same fashion as the originals, but that the front of the plate is a printed sticker:

1918
Unlike the 1913-1917 reproductions shown above, which are easy to spot as reproductions as they are decals applied to a sheet of alumnimum), the 1918's are made of steel (iron) and to the actual size (i.e. a scale of 1:1). The price on eBay for these plates is generally $120.00 USD versus a cost of $1,000 CDN that a genuine in 1918 in similar shape would fetch:

1919
The 1919 plates shown below (i.e. No. 19345) appeared on an internet auction site in the 2020s and is a reproduction originating in Thailand. The base material is tin that has been molded in the same fashion as the originals, but that the front of the plate is a printed sticker:

1920-21
The 1921 plates shown below (i.e. No. 21045) appeared on an internet auction site in the 2020s and are reproductions originating in Thailand. The base material is tin that has been molded in the same fashion as the originals, but that the front of the plate is a printed sticker:
FAKE!

1920-22
Seen on eBay in 2022 and described by the seller as follows:
Better than nothing!  This is a full size  REPLICA of a 1920 British Columbia license plate with 1922 tab, made in Thailand. It's made of STEEL sheet (thickness is comparable to an original one). Scale 1:1. The plate and tab are embossed and painted. No stickers used.

1952 (National Defence)
Less professional than the replicas made in Thailand showcased above, this particular 1952 National Defence plate was made by a local Esquimalt collector in their kitchen, likely using a 1953 National Defence plate as the base. The give-away are the bolt holes:

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