Never seen an OEM blanking plate that looks like that. My guess is somewhere along the line the radio was replaced by a home made plate to cover the hole, perhaps it stopped working. Only guessing...
Didn't hear back either. Sent him another note earlier today, odd because he was so prompt about responding before. I assume he may be out of town or otherwise out of internet contact.... Agreed with Rossocorsa, don't want to rush him, just looking for an update.
Good to hear. For me, it’s less about the best modern solution and more about have a precise reproduction of the originals.