🎎 1978 Missouri Mini License Plate – Possibly Motorcycle-Sized – Japan Antique Roadshow

🎎 This compact 1978 Missouri license plate, likely for a motorcycle or small vehicle, was found in Japan—an unexpected location for such an object from the American Midwest. With the registration “A9G·978” and a “JAN” expiration mark, it reflects typical U.S. plate formatting of the era. Measuring just 18.5 cm by 8.5 cm and weighing approximately 60 grams, its small size suggests it may have belonged to a motorcycle, though confirmation of the original vehicle type isn’t available. The surface is entirely oxidized, and the material—likely steel—has weathered into a deep rusted patina, eliminating any remaining paint.

📏 Approximate dimensions
• Size: 18.5 cm long × 8.5 cm tall × 0.5 cm thick
• Weight: ~60g
• Material: Steel or tin, fully oxidized
• Condition: Heavily rusted, structurally sound
• Markings: Missouri “JAN” registration, 1978, A9G·978
• Likely use: Motorcycle or small vehicle plate
• Found in: Japan

This is not a rare item in the United States, where vintage plates are commonly collected and resold—but its appearance in Japan offers a curious bit of international drift. How it made its way across the Pacific is unknown, but its journey, wear, and enduring form speak to the quiet migrations of ordinary objects—and the stories they gather in silence.

Curated in Shizuoka City by Kurt Bell, this piece offers a tangible link to the overlooked aesthetics of everyday utility, mid-century American road culture, and the poetry of displaced things.

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