Bidder to pay $147K for low-numbered license plate

The plate that someone wanted very badly.

By Globe Staff

Someone has bid $147,000 for a Cape Cod & Islands-series license plate with the number 1 on it, the highest amount ever offered in an auction for low-numbered plates, the Registry of Motor Vehicles said today.

The Registry opened an online auction for the plates on July 8. The auction for the first 100 numbers and the triple-digit repeat plates (111, 222, etc.) closed Friday night. The second highest winning bid was $35,500 for plate 4.Bidding on the other plates from 101 through 998 closes today.

"We're elated with the results," Paul Rumul, chairman of the Cape & Islands License Plate Committee, said in a statement. "We always knew the plates were popular and that so many Massachusetts residents feel a special connection to the Cape Islands. I think this affirms it!"

Proceeds from the auction benefit several non-profit organizations on the Cape and islands, including the Cape Cod Baseball League; the Lower Cape Cod Community Development Corp.; and the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce.

• Comment
• Permalink
• Email