1953 m38a1 cdn

[BCA]

Bernard, I got curious about your serial plate; fortunately you posted a good photo. I find it quite unusual - but certainly not to question it's authenticity since it looks very original.
Frank v.R. and others may also notice that there are 3 different type faces used for stamping the serial number.
The most plates have a type face like your "53" date. Notice how delicate and lightly stamped it is. Most plates I have seen have this exact style for the serial number and the date, and are very uniform in spacing and pressure: i.e. machine stamped in one process.
I have looked closely and do not see a Month stamp. However the "2" which is in the space normally used for the Day is a heavy type face: As if it was an after-thought. Also there is a dash before and after the "2" suggesting the original intention of a MM-DD-YY format. One possibility is that the "53" was pre-stamped without a MM-DD. Later only the "2" was added, in which case it may mean either February or the 2nd day of an unknown month.
Finally the F-200578 is definitely a bolder typeface than normal M38CDN and M38A1 CDN serial numbers.
My guess is that the jeep had a problem on the assembly line, was pulled aside and not stamped until it was approved for delivery. At that point a different set of stamps was used and the stamper overlooked assigning a day and only stamped "2' for February.
If you PM me and give me your email address then me then I can send you an image of a typical serial plate.
A most interesting plate and thank you for sharing. .... Brian

[rob love]

Brian
I believe 8 was for the armour, like ferrets and centurians

[BCA]

Rob: thanks for the suggestion - so far all I have to go on is photos in various data sheets and none of them show CFR's for some of the armoured vehicles. I am sure there are lots of historical photos out there that will confirm or debunk the theory of blocking out particular CFR series for specific vehicles.

[Ed Storey]

What Brian outlined for CFR numbers was the intent when the system was first devised. Since the 1970s this well defined numbering system has changed a bit as older fleets of vehicles were retired and new ones brought into service.

As Rob stated Centurion and Ferret X digits began with 8

Looking at some of the other armoured vehicles:

Leopard X digits beginning with 1, 6, 7 and 8
Coyote X digits begin with 3
M113 Series X digits begin with 3
Lynx X digits begin with 3
LAV III digits beginning with 0, 3 and 4
AVGP Series X digits began with 3
RG-31 X digits beginning with 3 and 8

Softskin vehicles:

M151A2 X digits began with 0 and 2
Chevrolet CK20903 Series began with 2
MLVW Series X digits begin with 1, 3, 5 and 6
5 ton Series X digits began with 0, 1, 2 and 6

Maybe it is me, but it looks the original ordered system has changed.

[rob love]

Yes, they now simply use the next number(s) that are currently unused. They will reserve a block of numbers for a fleet, but again, it will be sequential to what was last issued when the decision was made. For a while I could actually date a vehicle by it's CFR number plate, based on the numbers in use. But I have kind of lost contact with that part of the world.

Just to throw a wrench in the system, when a plate is lost or stolen, a new CFR is to be issued. That is why you will find photos or records of 5/4 tons or other fleets where the CFRs are way out of sequence. This made the mechanic's records hard to maintain....best bet was to just make up a new license plate with the original number and nobody was the wiser.

Another anomaly is for locally manufactured or procured trailers, and sometimes ATVs. They would have a license plate consisting of a base's UIC followed by a single digit. Don't ask me what they do after they use up the 10 available numbers on a base.

[BCA]

Ed and Rob: Thanks for your comments. The blocking out of CFR numbers in the early 1950's probably had some pattern but as time went on it became more of a free-for-all. Given the lack of written documentation about the production and serial numbers in the early 1950's, the only way to piece together a story is to inspect surviving vehicles. Fortunately a surprising number of 1952 M38CDN and 1953 M38A1 jeeps survive and that makes the process interesting.

[maple_leaf_eh]

CFR xx-32744 has been reissued to a 1997 DEW Engineering Ltd CDN1-SMP TRAILER 5 KW GEN SET.

So, unless you get a secondary source like those used by Andrew Iarocci for his pamphlet, there is nothing easily available.