The first plate mock up was too small, but the 2nd looks a tad too big.
The front license plate laws in California are a bit liberal about placement. They can be on the side, low, or high.
Some people even put them on their dashboard facing through the front window. I am not sure if that is completely legit or not, but I have seen a lot doing that.
I saw a Ferrari F40 where the plate was mounted flat on the lower lip facing up. So the plate was parallel with the road about 3" above the road. You could read it easily when right in front of the car, but from a distance you wouldn't see it at all. I don't know if that met the letter of the law or not.