Glossary
Cherished vs Personalised Plates: What's the Difference?
The two terms are used interchangeably but mean different things. Here's the proper definition and which holds value better.
Cherished vs Personalised Plates: What's the Difference?
Cherished plates
A cherished plate was issued before the current 2001 system — dateless, suffix, or prefix format.
Examples:
- AB 1 — dateless (1903–1963)
- ABC 1A — suffix (1963–1983)
- A1 ABC — prefix (1983–2001)
These are typically more valuable because they're scarcer, look distinctive, and often have shorter character counts.
Personalised plates
The broader catch-all term — any plate chosen for personal meaning. Includes all cherished plates and current-style (2001–present).
Which holds value better?
Cherished, almost always. Auction record books are dominated by dateless and suffix plates. But current-style is more affordable: £400–£2,000 for a clean name vs £8,000+ for the suffix equivalent.
Spot a cherished plate at a glance
- No year identifier in the format → dateless
- Single letter at the end → suffix (1963–1983)
- Single letter at the start → prefix (1983–2001)
- Two letters / two numbers / three letters → current style
Looking for the right plate? Browse live stock or search by name or initials. Need help? Start a free enquiry and our concierge team will hunt for you.