Narrow map style plate witn 0 AA000 serial and dark blue back issued in Davidson County.

Narrow map style base with white back and 0 AA000 or 0 A0000 serial imprinted on aluminum. The 5 would indicate it was issued in Sullivan County.

Narrow map style bases imprinted on aluminum with the 00 A000 serial format. As you can see from the back there appears to be some variation in the dies used to print the serial numbers. The 62 plate was issued in Crockett County, while the 86 plate would have been issued in Clay County.


Narrow map style base in AAA 000 serial format made on alumimum. On this style of serial, I have not been able to identify a county code connection. The serial dies on this plate appear to be wider than the other narrow map plates. The ALPCA archive does mention that this type of serial may have been for replacement plates in 1975 and 1976.


Narrow map style base with 00 A000 serial format made on steel and with a white painted back. The 46 on the left would indicate it was issued in Giles County. The ALPCA archive mentions a thin gauge steel plate first issued to new registrants in 1975. This, however, is a heavier steel and has obviously been issued earlier.


Narrow map style base on aluminum with 00 AA00 serial number issued in Gibson County
 

A taller or wider map version of the 1971 base was also issued. Both plates above were issued on aluminum, carry the 00 AA00 format and have white backs. So far, all of the wider map varieties I have seen have a white painted back, as do the plates above. The plate on the left was issued in Roane County, as noted by the 16. The one on the right was issued in Williamson County. Another difference in the plates is in the sticker wells in the upper left corner. The 16 plate has very thinly debossed 71 in it, will the one on the right is blank. See below for the reverse of the sticker wells.




Wider map style base with 0 AA000 serial variety. This one was issued in Davidson County

There are a number of these plates with different ending letters in the serials, an embossed 76 in the upper right hand corner, and what I believe are county codes at the beginning of the serials. Whatever the coding means, they are not passenger car plates. A couple are shown above. No one I have talked to yet seems to be sure as to the meaning of the suffixes, or the letters embedded in the serials. There is some agreement that the first 1 or 2 digits represent a county code number. A guess based on reading serials on later issued plates might yield the following:
20Y44-H = Hamblen County mult county zone truck because of the Y in the serial
4S786-B=Hamilton County semi-commercial plate because of the S in the serial

Narrow map versions of the non passenger plates with both the white and blue backs. Both of these serials carry a J which I believe may mean a "joint" plate issued for combined farm and limited private truck use. The 2 on the one on the left would mean it was issued in Davidson County. The 44 on the one on the right would indicate issuance in Giles County.

Wide map variety of this type of non passenger plate with both blue and white backs showing. Again, guessing at the meaning of the serials I have come up with the following:
62J88-L=Crockett County issued joint plate (combined farm and limited private use truck)
14X37-G=Maury County issued multi county zone truck