Just my two cents but speaking of the bronze plate, I believe it is supposed to be in a place that is integral to the boat so that it cannot be removed easily.
Here is the info from the coast guard documentation faq page
HOW DO I MARK MY VESSEL?
The official number assigned to documented vessels, preceded by the abbreviation "NO." must be marked in block-type Arabic numerals at least three inches high on some clearly visible interior structural part of the hull. The number must be permanently affixed so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious and cause some scarring or damage to the surrounding hull area.
I don't know if the bronze plate would fulfill this requirement. But I'm sure others here have experience in this matter. Our boat was registered in Michigan and I found it a very easy process to redocument it also.