Six-digit heritage plates were available through VicRoads for just three days before being removed from its website.

Acting chief commercial officer Natalie Burrows said sales had been paused because of "overwhelming interest".

"Heritage plate production is a precise craft and given the high number of orders to fill, we now want to focus on production to ensure we deliver these products promptly," she said.

After recommencing orders on July 11, the decision was made to halt further sales on July 14.

It's not the first time VicRoads has removed its heritage plates from sale. They were unavailable throughout much of 2022.

Using the same design and specifications as those issued in the early twentieth century, heritage plates are manufactured by hand in vitreous enamel.

While it's common for custom plates to cost anywhere between $500 and $1000 when bought new, heritage plates come at a premium that has only gone up in recent years.

Originally retailing for $10,000 in 2020, prices increased to $17,995 when sales resumed earlier this month to "better reflect their rarity and value".

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The price tag should come as no surprise to enthusiasts as VicRoads previously sold the plates at auction for more than $40,000 each.

It would be a steep cost for many but their value pales in comparison to historic single-digit plates. 'NSW 4' went under the hammer in 2017 and sold for $2.45 million.

VicRoads said it would share an update when heritage plates were ready to be reintroduced for sale.