License Plate ④

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

As mentioned at the start of this series, during the period from 1950 -1958 bicycles were taxed (200 yen per bicycle), and since the tax was controlled by the local municipality, the license plate or tax badge designs varied from town to town. To date we have seen three styles of license plates; those attached to the head tube License Plate①、those attached to the rear fender License Plate②、and, those attached to the handlebars License Plate③．

In this final installment we shall take a look at a truely unique license plate.  What makes it so unique is that it is a combination of a lock and license plate.

This is the lock, it attaches to the left seat stay.
Notice the number 1297 appears twice.
The red portion is actually a key.

The key bearing the same number as the lock.

Back of the key, note the notches.


The key slides into the lock as shown below.




Here is the lock attached to the left seat stay. 
When the rider reached his destination he locked the bicycle by pushing the bolt to slide it into the spokes.

Once the bolt was slid all the way into the spokes it released the key.The key could then be pulled out.



The rider carried the key with him until returning to the bicycle.
Keep in mind that at the time black and gold was the main color scheme and it was no so easy job to find one's bicycle at a crowded train station parking lot.

Sliding the key into the groove released the spring activated bolt returning it to the "unlocked"position.

This concludes the four part series on bicycle license plates. 
If you have any interesting examples please send photos with explanation to showajitensha@hotmail.co.jp