The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization, purchased the Ident-O-Tag Company of Chicago, Illinois, owned by Abraham Leonard Koolish, in 1941.

Ident-O-Tag had been producing keychain license plate tags since 1938.    Others, such as the New York based "Lost Key Services" were among the first to produce keychain license plate tags.    Other companies also produced keychain license plate advertising tags, but you had to order the tags (re: B. F. Goodrich).  

The DAV was able to convince the various State motor vehicle departments to cooperate with them and allow them to obtain the mailing addresses of the people who registered their cars in each state.    The DAV then mailed the DAV keychain license plates, with the owner’s license plate number on them, to the registered owner and asked for a donation.

The premise was that if you lost your keys, the finder would drop them into the nearest mail box, and the DAV would return them to the registered owner for free.  

The program continued from 1941 through 1975, and was ended because of privacy concerns of some recipients.

CLICK on any image to see it in larger format

 

1940

 

1940-SW6450-Front.JPG (49913 bytes)1940-SW6450-Back.JPG (53536 bytes)

Boyer's Haunted Shacks

Detroit, Michigan

1941

1941-BX6906-Front.JPG (72351 bytes)1941-BX6906-Back.JPG (76763 bytes)

Ident-O-Tag Co

Chicago, Illinois

1941

1941-SW2745-Front.JPG (31202 bytes)1941-SW2745-Back.JPG (46233 bytes)

Boyer's Haunted Shacks

Detroit, Michigan

1941

1941-W8VJD-Front.JPG (32537 bytes)1941-W8VJD-Back.JPG (28763 bytes)

Ham Radio Operator

Unknown Manufacturer-Blank Back

1941

1941-JB3404-Front-Goodrich.JPG (50082 bytes)1941-JB3404-Back-Goodrich.JPG (60315 bytes)

B. F. Goodrich

Brass

1942

1942-EF7244-Front.JPG (63063 bytes)1942-EF7244-Back.JPG (77890 bytes)

Frame Type 1/C

NEED

5/C

5/E

1943

1943-BL3550-Front.JPG (49773 bytes)1943-BL3550-Back.JPG (64894 bytes)

Frame Type 5/E

NEED

 

1/E

1/G

8/G.a

1944

1944-AU4530-Front.JPG (66546 bytes)1944-AU4530-Back.JPG (76238 bytes)

Frame Type 1/E

Frame Type 1/G

NEED

5/E

8/G.a

1945

1945-NH5785-Front.JPG (59734 bytes)1945-NH5785-Back.JPG (80160 bytes)

Frame Type 5/G

Frame Type 1/H

NEED

 

1/G

1/G.b

5/G.b

5H

1946

1946-MV4660-Front.JPG (64085 bytes)1946-MV4660-Back.JPG (86296 bytes)

Frame Type 5/G

 

NEED

 

1/H

5/H

5/I

10/G.a

11/G.a

 

1947

1947-MG1030-Front.JPG (64286 bytes)1947-MG1030-Back.JPG (67732 bytes)

Frame Type 1/H

NEED

 

5/H

1/I

5/G

5/I

 

1948

1948-AD2066-Front.JPG (85579 bytes)1948-AD2066-Back.JPG (91838 bytes)

Frame Type 1/J.a

1958-EH2821-Front.JPG (61641 bytes)1958-EH-Back.JPG (63337 bytes)

Frame Type 16/J.c

NEED

 

Frame Type 13/J.a

Frame Type 16/J

1949

1949-BG6797-Front-Pair.JPG (94519 bytes)1949-BG6797-Back-Pair.JPG (115349 bytes)

Frame Type 16/K

 

NEED

 

Frame Type 16/J.b

 

Frame Type 1/J - No Street Add

 

1950

1950-KT9455-Front-Pair.JPG (147659 bytes)1950-KT9455-Back-Pair.JPG (203844 bytes)

Frame Type 17/J.a

 

Frame Type 17/l-U6

1951

1951-KT7815-Front-Pair.JPG (88181 bytes)1951-KT7815-Back-Pair.JPG (102313 bytes)

Frame Type 16/L.a-U6

 

Frame Type 16/L

 

NEED

 

Frame Type 16/K

Frame Type 19/L

1952

1952-KT2603-Front-Pair.JPG (98980 bytes)1952-KT2603-Back-Pair.JPG (116985 bytes)

Frame Type 19/L

(One has 16 ribs, the other 15)

 

NEED

 

Frame Type 18/L-Warp

1953

1953-KT3898-Front-Pair.JPG (102319 bytes)1953-KT3898-Back-Pair.JPG (118202 bytes)

Frame Type 19/L-Long "Michigan"

 

1953-BG2753-Front-ShortMichigan-01.jpg (78437 bytes)1953-BG2753-Back-01.jpg (90282 bytes)

 

Frame Type 19/L-Short "Michigan"

 

1954

1954-AW9440-Front-Pair.JPG (109405 bytes)1954-AW9440-Back-Pair.JPG (115317 bytes)

Frame Type 16/M-V6

 

1954-BJ6195-Front-16L-U6-01.jpg (71629 bytes)1954-BJ6195-Back-16L-U6-01.jpg (79381 bytes)

Frame Type 16/L-U6

1955

Frame Type 16/M-V6

Frame Type 16/L-U6

 

 

NEED

 

Frame Type 16/N - V13

 

1956

Frame Type 16/N

 

NEED

Frame Type 16/L-U6

 

NEED

 

Frame Type 19/L - Plastic

 

1957

Frame Type 16/N

1958

Frame Type 16/N

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati 13, Ohio

1959

Frame Type 16/N

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati 13, Ohio

1960

Frame Type 16/N

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati 13, Ohio

1961

Frame Type 16/N

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati 13, Ohio

1962

Frame Type 22/P

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati 13, Ohio

1963

Frame Type 16/N

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati 13, Ohio

1964

NEED

No General Issue

Special Requests Only

1965

Frame Type 24/Q

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45206

 

1965-MC6895-Front.gif (136969 bytes)1965-MC6895-Back.gif (126717 bytes)

Frame Type 16/N

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati 13, Ohio

1966

1966-CG3981-Front-Pair.JPG (108570 bytes)1966-CG3981-Back-Pair.JPG (132683 bytes)

Frame Type 24/Q

 

Frame Type 16/N

 

NEED

 

Frame Type 24/R

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45206

1967

1967-RN8978-Front-Pair.JPG (104901 bytes)1967-RN8978-Back-Pair.JPG (121109 bytes)

Frame Type 26/R

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45214

1968

NEED

No General Issue

Special Requests Only

1969

Early Version Frame Type 26/R

NEED

Late Version Frame Type 26/R

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45214

1970

Frame Type 26/R

Special Request-Plastic Insert

Frame Type 25/R

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45214

 

1971

Frame Type 26/R

Special Request-Plastic Insert

Frame Type 25/R

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45214

1972

Regular Issue - Type 27/R

"Pale" Regular Issue - Type 27/R

 

Regular Nine (9) Digit Issue-Type 27/R

1972-MI-DAV-210215429-9Digit-Pale-White--01.jpg (80187 bytes)

Pale Nine (9) Digit Issue-Type 27/R

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45214

1973

1973-MCT287-Front-Pair.JPG (32467 bytes)

No Validation Sticker Boxes

Frame Type 27/R

With Validation Sticker Boxes

Frme Type 27/S

Special Request-Plastic Insert

 

Frame Type 25/S

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45214

1974

 

Frame Type 27/R

 

 

NEED

 

Frame Type 27/S

 

Disabled American Veterans

Cincinnati, Ohio  45214

1975

NEED

Frame Type 27/R

Frame Type 27/S

 

MAILERS

 
1951mailer-50.jpg (70633 bytes)

1951

 1955mailer-50.jpg (66268 bytes)

1955

 1957mailer-50.jpg (86616 bytes)

1957
 
1967mailer-50.jpg (110441 bytes)

1967

1969

1970
 
1971mailer-40.jpg (50207 bytes)

1971

 1972mailer-40.jpg (50391 bytes)

1972

 1973mailer-40.jpg (49620 bytes)

1973
 

OTHER KEYCHAIN KEY RETURN PROGRAMS

 

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This Page Last Updated:

Saturday, June 12, 2010 02:08 AM