Cuarto Centenario Commemorative License Plate
Manufacturer / MakerCreated by
State Of New Mexico
(established 1912)
Date1940
Mediummetal
Dimensions6 × 13 1/2 × 1/16 in. (15.2 × 34.3 × 0.2 cm)
ClassificationsTransportation
Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of Caroline Johnson
Object numberPC1979.2.1
DescriptionThis rectangular metal license plate commemorates the 400th anniversary of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s 1540 expedition into what is now the southwestern United States. The plate has a bold red background with raised yellow lettering, which reads: “CORONADO CUARTO CENTENNIAL / 1540 – 1940 / ‘AN EVENT FOUR CENTURIES IN THE MAKING’.” It features four mounting holes, two at the top and two at the bottom, for attachment to a vehicle. The reverse is blank and indentations from the text on the front are visible. Issued in 1940, this commemorative license plate was distributed as part of New Mexico’s Cuarto Centennial celebrations, featuring events such as historical pageants, museum exhibits, and educational programs, which marked 400 years since Coronado’s colonization of the region for the Spanish. The event was widely observed throughout the state, with parades, exhibitions, and historical reenactments celebrating Spanish heritage and early European contact with Indigenous peoples.On View
Not on viewTerms
ca. 1940
