Glossary
Number Plate Styles: Dateless, Suffix, Prefix and Current Explained
Four eras, four formats. A clear guide to identifying any UK plate at a glance and understanding why some styles are worth ten times more than others.
Number Plate Styles Explained
1. Dateless (1903–1963)
No letter or number tells you the year. Examples: AB 1, XY 9999, 123 ABC.
The most valuable category — first ever issued, scarce, often very short character counts.
2. Suffix (1963–1983)
Three letters, up to three numbers, single year letter at the end. Examples: ABC 123A (1963), ABC 1S (1978).
Year letters A through Y, no I/O/Q/U/Z.
3. Prefix (1983–2001)
Single year letter at start, then numbers, then three letters. Examples: A1 ABC (1983), Y999 ABC (2001).
4. Current (2001–present)
Two area letters, two year digits, three letters. Format: AB 12 ABC.
The DVLA can still issue new plates in this format.
Spot the format at a glance
| You see | Format |
|---|---|
| One letter at the end | Suffix |
| One letter at the start | Prefix |
| Two letters / two numbers / three letters | Current |
| None of the above | Dateless |
Value rule of thumb
For comparable readings:
- Dateless: 100x baseline
- Suffix: 10x baseline
- Prefix: 3x baseline
- Current: 1x baseline
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