OP,
Had my plate swiped in Panama many years ago.
Police report & letter from Canadian consul (Nice lady) in spanish & english.
I fabbed up a replacement plate out of plywood..White background with neatly hand painted black lettering.
Made it all the way to Oregon on the way home before stopped & questioned about plate.
Nobody cared prior to that. Letter from consul with a bunch of fancy Gov. of Canada stamps/pressings worked it's magic!
Pawlie

Did finish my Transafrica with a self made laminated plate in the rear.

Not one question about. I was even able to enter switzerland (homecountry) later :thumbup1:

All these descriptions of the ease with which fake plates can be fabricated and used makes me wonder why anyone would steal a plate in the first place. Surely even a very lazy thief could find a scrap of paper or plywood and some felt pens....?

I think the “ stolen “ license plates in many cases are just plates that rattled off and were discovered missing later or they were indeed stolen or they were removed legally by the police for parking infractions . Also it might have been taken by kids looking for a cool kind of souvenir to trade or hang in their shed ..The folks are rarely interested in foreign plates to put on their vehicles, anyway it is easier to use those coming in with the used vehicle , like NY , WA or TX plates with stickers that expired a decade ago , or go “ nude” no plate at all.
I Stop occasionally to pick up a dropped plate for souvenir value myself and I have found a GERMAN plate along the highway in HONDURAS , some German RTW four wheeler must have lost it . I am :rolleyes:disappointed with the scarcity of lost , colourful Mexican plates . Lost US plates are more common there .... or were those discarded from stolen cars illegally brought in? One never knows.

I had an extended peak with over 164km/h in the namib desert in my GPS Log. Mine was ratteled off for shure. But hell, it was so nice to drive through!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6MDu_0bQ2X...0/DSC03173.jpg

Too the road quality was nasty till 120km/h - the topup was just fun!

bier

Early 2013, hanging out in Buenos Aires with a local, wainting to head to the Dakar Rally. I noticed my friend's license plate was basically black on black. The white paint on the letters had been blasted off over time and multiple power washings. Do you think you should touch up the lettering so a cop doesn't pull you over? The answser, "Not a chance. No one will stop me for that!"