Pre-state issues should exist for all counties, but not all are accounted for. Most counties would issue vehicle owners a number, and it would be up to the owner to display it on the vehicle. Examples include numbers painted on bumpers; house numbers attached to a leather strip; numbers engraved in a block of wood. Most were porcelain, though, and contracted to Ingram-Richardson Mfg. Co. in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania or Baltimore Enamel and Novelty Co. in Maryland. To cover the cost of making porcelains, many examples feature advertising, almost always by the dealer that sold the car. Known advertising: Gibbes Machinery Co (Columbia), W.E Vernon (Florence), G.C. Chandler (Florence), D.W. Alderman (Florence), DuPre Auto Co. (Columbia)
black-and-white image from a collector magazine, circa 1980's:
Pre-state issues known from the following counties:
Abbeville
This is one of the few known leather surviving plates from SC. House numbers tacked to a metal-base, leather wrapped.
Aiken
Three porcelain variations known. Undated; 1914, 1917
Anderson
The only known example is leather, abbreviated AND
Bamberg
House numbers on wood
BarnwellTwo porcelain variations known to exist, both undated. One with Gibbes Machinery advertising logo.
Beaufort
One porcelain variety known: motorcycle-sized; undated
Charleston
One porcelain variety known; undated
Cherokee/Gaffney
One undated porcelain variety known. Marked both Cherokee and Gaffney.
Clarendon
One porcelain variety known; dated 1916
Darlington
Three porcelain varieties known, all undated. D.W. Alderman and W.E. Vernon advertising known.
Edgefield
One variety of undated porcelain known.
Florence
Three undated variations known - all have dealer advertisement: D.W. Alderman, W.E. Vernon and G.C. Chandler
Greenville
1915 metal known; 1917 porcelain known
Lexington
Undated porcelain known.
House numbers affixed to wood. (Courtesy of SC State Museum)
Newberry
Two undated porcelain varietys known.
Oconee
1916 and 1917 known. Both stenciled onto painted metal.
Orangeburg
Two undated porcelain varieties known; one with D.W. Alderman advertising logo.
One stenciled on wood known.
Richland/Columbia
Believed to be the first known issue in South Carolina, beginning in 1910. Black plate is believed to have been in use for multiple years. 1916 motorcycle-sized porcelain known.
Gibbes Machinery Co. (shown) and DuPre Auto Co. advertising known on undated porcelains.
Saluda One undated porcelain variety known.
SpartanburgUndated porcelain known; 1916 porcelain known; 1916 motorcycle, curved fender porcelain known.
SumterOne undated porcelain variety known.
credit for some photos, and for more information, see http://porcelainplates.net/southcarolina_archive.html
Local (city) plates are rare. Only large cities are believed to have issued local plates, generally only for use within the city for vehicle types such as buggies, taxis (hacks) or parking enforcement. Known issues are below:
1926 Charleston