Rarities: Single-Digit Plates
By the title of this post, you might think I was about to discuss plates with just one letter or number on them. While those are certainly rare, I’m actually talking about plates that have only been issued in single-digit quantities. Less formally, you could say that there’s only a handful out there.
In Colorado, as in many other jurisdictions, the rarest-of-the-rare plates tend to be the specialized military issues. Currently, there are five military types in Colorado that have not yet reached double-digit quantities: Navy Cross (6), Air Force Cross (4), Medal of Honor (4), Distinguished Service Cross (3), and Fallen Airman (2). Having not yet actually seen any of these plates on the road, I’ll be using the state’s “blank” samples to illustrate as we go through each issue one-by-one.
CO Fallen Airman
We’ll start with the rarest of the rare, the Fallen Airman issue. Along with the rest of Colorado’s “Fallen” series (to be discussed in a later post), this plate is only available to the family members of individuals in the Air Force who have been killed in the line of duty. That said, it may actually be a good thing that there aren’t more of these out there if the price to own one is so high. (Although, as we’ll see in future posts, other branches of the armed forces have clearly paid a higher cost.) The seal in the center is, of course, that of the United States Air Force. I’m not sure what the significance is, if any, of the five stars in the “sky” – the five military branches, perhaps?
CO Distinguished Service Cross
Next up is the Distinguished Service Cross issue. Falling just below the Medal of Honor in terms of award rank, the United States Army has issued just over 13,000 DSCs since 1918, the end of the First World War. Of those, only around 7000 have been issued since the Second World War, and only 18 have been issued since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Split that total of 7000 out between all 50 states, and Colorado is left with, at best, maybe 140 possible DSC holders at present. (If I was working from population numbers instead, I’d say that number should be much lower — Colorado is a fairly small state — but we’re not being too specific here.) The depiction of the actual medal graces the center of the plate, and appears to be fairly detailed. Most of Colorado’s military award plates, as we’ll see shortly, share the same “blue sky” theme and carry red and blue striping along the lower edge.
CO Medal of Honor
It’s interesting that, despite the higher criteria required to earn it, the Medal of Honor issue is actually more prevalent (relatively speaking) than that of the DSC. In the history of the award, only 3,465 people have ever received it, many of them posthumously. And of those, just 854 — 528 posthumously — have been awarded since the onset of the Second World War. Again, we’ll extrapolate a Colorado total out, but keep in mind that only living recipients of the award are allowed to apply for these plates — family members, even of those who died while earning the award, are not eligible. Thus, using only the “living” total of 326 recipients since WW2, we’re left with maybe six or seven theoretical applicants. (Again, that number is probably high if you consider population.) Based on that, I think it’s safe to assume that everyone in the State of Colorado who could legally claim to deserve these plates has a set.
CO Air Force Cross
The Air Force equivalent to the DSC is known as the Air Force Cross, and is similarly ranked just below the Medal of Honor is terms of merit. Given the Air Force’s much shorter history (it has only existed as a separate branch since 1947), this medal is comparatively much less prevalent than either the DSC or the Navy Cross — only 187 people have ever received one, and just 137 were alive when they did so. Doing the division again, we come up with a reasonable figure of maybe two or three people in Colorado who could have earned one of these — and yet, the state has issued four sets of AFC plates. I hear you asking, “what gives?” Well, keep in mind that Colorado does have a larger Air Force presence than many states, what with three bases and several other USAF-related installations (like NORAD and the Air Force Academy) located within the state.
CO Navy Cross
So then, what logic could possibly explain the fact that there are more existing copies of the Navy Cross issue? Well, there is the fact that not just members of the United States Navy can receive them — members of the Marine Corps (as a division of the Navy) and the Coast Guard (which is folded into the Navy during times of war) are also eligible to receive the Navy Cross if the situation warrants it. And still none of that explains how a landlocked state managed to provide six recipients of the Navy Cross (out of just under 4400 recipients since WW2) with special license plates. Theories are appreciated; please feel free to comment.
CO Fallen Guardsman
It should also be noted that, as of yet, the state has not yet produced any copies of the Fallen Guardsman issue. With no Coast Guard presence in the state, that’s not surprising. Regardless, I’m sure the gesture is appreciated.
Next time in Rarities: Double-Digit Plates, Part One.
