2008 US 42¢ Flag And Sky Stamps

Hi folks,

Anyone have a newish US Specialized catalog. I am having a devil of a time telling the different sets apart. It doesn't help that they are self-stick, making perforation measuring a chore at best.

I am seeing five different sets, each with a different perforation?



Not the best image but you get the idea.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.

The 2011 Scott Specialized lists five different sets: perf 9.75 (4228-4231); serpentine die cut 9.5 (4232-4235), 11 (4236-4239) and 8.5 (4240-4243), each with perpendicular corners; and serpentine die cut 11 ((4244-4247) with rounded corners.

The examples you show are, from left to right, the 3rd (Dawn), 4th (Midday), 1st (Dusk) and 2nd (night)designs in each set.

[Edited to correct perf size of set 4228-4231.]

Ah, much obliged!

I can see I am well short of having a complete set of each.

Hmm . . . Dusk is the first in the series? Then the series follows the Jewish clock (day begins at dusk)?

That was likely a Scott call. More interesting is that the flag in the night scene appears to have an extra white stripe.

By jove, you are right!

The design error was much talked about at the time of issue. Can't think how that one got through the loop !

I am now looking for Mint and Used copies of 4228-4231, which until this thread came to pass, I never knew existed

I like this set very much, just thought I'd add that.

Londonbus1

Me too, LB1. Mystic is asking $1.50 a pop for used (versus 75¢ for other series).

Wow,

What a price hike. My 2009 Mystic catalog (hardcopy) lists 4228-4231 water activated coils at .60 each in used. But noe I see at Mystic on-line, they are 1.50 each as you say.

Dave N.
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Interesting that Scott Catalog shows 4228-31 (water activated) at $0.40 used; 4236-39 and 4240-43 at min. $0.20 used and 4244-47 at $0.30 used. Why the difference, I have no idea. In MNH condition, all varieties catalog at $0.85 each. Probably has to do with limited periods of use or overall quantity printed of each type, I suppose.

Hi Smauggie,

Thanks to this topic you started, I got to looking at my flag stamps in my album and found that I had not posted several to my album. I finished up transfering the missing ones to my album and thought I'd share a scan of the page. You do not really need to check the perfs/die cuts on these to identify them. The type of perfs/die cuts are different enough to be able to distinguish one set from another. For instance on the 4232-4235, the die cuts do not go all the way to the edge of the stamp, and on the 4244-4247 the corners are rounded.
Also, the 4240-4243 come in Peak-Valley and Valley Peak types. Another ineresting bit - - the 4232-4235 have "USPS" microprinted on the right side of the top white stripe on all 4 stamps.
By the way the 4244-4249 seem to be the most uncommon of the entire series - at least based on my sampling of maybe around 100 total stamps I only had 1 each of the 4244-4249. So I guess I got real lucky that I had one of each! Next uncommon was the water activated 4228-4231.
I would like to replace my 4229 with one that has better perfs on the right so I'll keep looking for these.

Thanks,

Dave N.
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If anyone's interesting in the mint stamps for the water activated gum variety, it looks like you can still get them at face value by mail order at this USPS Site (Providence, RI) -- advance down toward the end of the page:

http://www.uspsdistricts.com/provdist/phcoil.htm

wt1 - You are top-notch resource as always.

Just posted a give away for a couple groups of some of these in the give away section...

Smauggie - yours are set aside for you and not included in the give aways.

Dave N.
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Very kind of you Dave. Thanks.!

First -- thanks, Dave N., for posting the picture. I now know for certain that I am looking at 50 stamps that contain zero 4244 - 4247 and it is not just me going mad and being unable to discern a round from a point/perpendicular. Also zero 4228 - 4231 (but I knew that).

Second -- so my scientific model incontrovertibly proves that you are right and these two sets are rarer.

Third -- I am disappointed to learn that my romantic personal explanation of the order of the flags in this series is perhaps wrong. I thought you yanks were celebrating your flag being there at the twilight's last gleaming (with the glare of red rockets reflected in the clouds, no less), giving proof through the night that your flag was still there, seeing it by the dawn's early light and then saying it does yet wave on thru the day (unto victory and eternity, presumably). How disappointing!