Ok. Some more trivia to toss onto the fires of inguiry. A google search turned up a short article. It is of some interest but has no factual back up. Certainly not a statement of fact issued by the Ca. DMV or the penal establishment. So I checked with my Torino friend, ZVA plate, and sure enough no 63 stamped in the upper corner. Looking at the flip side of the ZVA plate a very faint 63 is detectable. Looking at my epay plates a very faint 63 is again detectable. To faint to photograph and, of course, must be in just the right light to be seen. A friend that owns a 69 BOSS 9 says his YYG plates have no 63 stamp and added that he has a pair of 69 ZMK plates that are also w/o the 63. The picture shows 3 69 black plates; W w/63, X and Y w/o 63. Certainly interesting anyway and may lend some credence to the theory ? Brian