laminated nameplate

A laminated nameplate could be made of almost anything. "Laminated" basicly means "multiple layers" so it could be multiple layers of paper, wood, plastic, metal, cardboard, glass, etc...

Both of these are lamintaed nameplates:



The top one is plastic, the bottom one is metal.

Heh....that is a darn good question.

When something is laminated, it's to give an extra coat of protection for scratches and such.

If a plastic name plate is laminated, it's to give the engraving an extra coat of protection, same with metal. Metal nameplates can get scratched easily.

When you asked, my initial reaction was "Well Because....., um,,,,, let me think about this....."

damn you beat me to it fishin'

Sorwy!

Also to differentiate between some of higher status (brass name plate) and someone of lower status (laminated name plate).

Perhaps I'm off topic here, but are you thinking of laminated nametag?

This would be a card with a person's name in a plastic holder which can be pinned on so that people in a gathering of strangers can identify each other.

The family is poor, it was probably on their door, with "laminated" meaning rather "protected" than "multilayered".

Then it would be covered with plastic or heavily varnished.