At noon on Monday Aug. 12, bidding on the only legal specialty license plate in Texas to read, “12THMAN,” begins. The auction runs through noon Sept. 12.Proceeds from the online-only auction are to benefit Texas A&M University and the General Revenue Fund of Texas. The plate’s producer, myplates.com, will donate any money it makes to the University.
Until 2011, only 6 letters or numbers were available on Texas license plates. When the state made the 7 letter plate available, according to a press release from My Plates, the "personalized plate" retailer registered the rights to the plate so that it could be used at auction to benefit the University and the State of Texas.
“The 12th Man is a cornerstone of Texas A&M, and we are very excited to participate in this historic opportunity. There is a lot of buzz among our former students and loyal fans about the 12th Man plate, and it would not surprise me if this auction surpasses the current $25,000 record for the highest price paid for a Texas license plate,” said Texas A&M Senior Associate Athletics Director Jason Cook.
The winner of the 12THMAN plate owns it for a 10-year term, with first dibs on renewing the plate afterward. The winner could also choose to transfer or sell the plate to someone else.
