Where is this 1922 plate from? Collectors have long been curious and debated its origin. With these historical photos, we can confirm it is indeed from Mexico, and they were used in Mexico City, as long believed.
The surviving M de M examples (at least two are known) are five digits, which seems very high. Both survivors start with “22”, indicated 22,XXX. Or could the the 22 be the year as prefix, but that seems unnecessary with the year already stamped vertically on the right. A century ago, there was no likely no other jurisdiction in Mexico with more than 22,000 registrations except Distrito Federal. The vertical “19” and “22” at the right could be theorized as a multi-year plate for 1919-1922. The other leading theory says the M de M designation is for “Muncipalidad de Mexico”, as in the government of Mexico City.
The newly discovered photos seem to solve one mystery and raise another. There are now at least three photographs showing 5 examples of 1922 M de M plates on the roads of Mexico City seemingly solving the long-standing question of its origin:
1. #361 on a crowded jitney, with a cigarette smoking pedestrian in front
2. #2697 on a Ford Model T jitney, a public colectivo bus parked in front of El Express Cantina, and travelling the Roma neighborhoods (Roma Sur and Roma Norte). This jitney has a window sign showing Calle Mérida in Roma Norte.
3. #3803 on another Mexico City jitney.
4. #689X on a partially obscured but still legible 4-digit plate on another La Rosa jitney
5. #6XXXX on another obscured plate driving alongside the La Rose #689X jitney.
But there’s now another mystery. There is no known dated 1922 DF plate. But there are other period public jitney vehicles that clearly show an undated “DF” stacked suffix designation. So if the 1922 M de M was used by Distrito Federal for 1922, then when were the undated DF plates used—1921 or earlier? If the undated DF plates are older than the M de M plate, then why did Mexico City, DF use the odd and still unknown “M de M” designation for just that one year?
So, there are still several major questions left unanswered:
1. What does the “M de M” mean how did it become to be used on a license plates, apparently for one year only? Is it “Municipalidad de Mexico”?
2. Where were the undated DF plates used? Even more compelling, when were the first plates required or issued in Mexico City? For example, the 1922 M de M highest known plate is #22133, yet the highest known 1923/24 DF plates or photographs are low 5-digits–#10XXX series.
3. Is there a chance that the DF plates and M de M plate were used concurrently in Mexico City? All five of the verified examples of the 1922 M de M plates on vehicles were all on jitneys–the colectivo public bus-like service.
4. Or while unlikely, could the M de M plate have been issued by Estado de Mexico (as in “Municipios de (Edo) Mexico” and still be seen on the streets of Mexico City as shown in these photographs.
Until now, the earliest known Distrito Federal plate has been a dated 23/24 DF plate, with all subsequent years accounted for through dated issues confirmed for 1925 through 1985, and then again in 1999. So with DF plates documented from 1923 on up, the undated DF plate is a mystery.
With all this in mind, our leading theory is that the undated DF plate is the first plate issued in Mexico City and confirmed to be in use in 1917, if not earlier based on the “Industrial Mexico” book. Next, the our leading theory is that the 1922 M de M is the second issue, and first dated plate, used in just 1922 (not ’19-’22). The third issue is the dated DF 23/24 plate, and then subsequent annual issues from 1925 through 1985 before returning to multi-year (and undated) base plates through today.
But this does create another mystery. Why would Distrito Federal start issuing plates with DF, then switch to M d M for just one year, and then go back to DF. Indeed DF or Distrito Federal was used from 1923/24 through 2015 when DF finally ceased and gave way to CDMX.
Do you have any related photos, evidence or theories to share? Please let us know in the Comments below. We will update as new or clarifying information is collected.
Well, you could chuckle and say at least one known meaning of M de M is the Mystery of Mexico!
