UK registration number plate letters/setup

[bloodysalmon]

Always been unsure what precisely was the setup of the TC number plates in the 1940's was! i.e. silver or white on black; raised plastic white letters or pressed silver letters? This is perhaps only applicable to those T's in the UK. I suspect they where also made from steel plate and not aluminium as most are today too.
Prior to buying some newly made plates could anyone offer their thoughts on the matter. There also appears to be a number of suppliers out there but most state prior to 1980 which isnt that helpful.

[Steve Simmons]

Here is the original plate on my '49. Raised bare aluminum letters on black background. One piece plate, not separate letters. Best photo I could find at the moment but I can take a better one this evening if you need it.

[Rob Reilly]

I am aware of two sources for registration plates back in the 1930s, Hills in Euston London and Ace in Coventry, and there may have been more. Hills made them in one piece pressed aluminum, and Ace made them with separate aluminum letters attached to a flat aluminum plate. Ace also made them with white plastic letters on black painted glass, which were used with a light box so the lights would shine through the letters.
The process was something like this. You got your number from the county authority, then you or your dealer would have Hills or Ace make you up the plates.
The KMG numbers were issued by the county of Middlesex, which doesn't exist now, it was swallowed up by Greater London.

[bloodysalmon]

cheers for your replies gentlemen. It just goes to show that not being MG it was indeed up to the local authority or dealership to decide what type of number plate to fit post-war. I have my red TC with pressed silver numbers on black which is ok but did have made the white plastic ones for my green TC in the 90's (see below) ... these do look the better and more period-looking for sure. I now have the choice to decide what to use on my black TC '47

[Rob Reilly]

For some reason it missed a couple of my pix.