USPS To Release Gummed Stamp?

According to Linns Stamp News, the new 1cent Bobcat stamp

yaaay now if they would rethink their imagery it would be a wonderful thing!

The USPS often does this on the coil rolls. Some of the precancelled stamps are offered in both formats. The 44c Flag Stamp from 2009 is offered in both PSA and WAG formats as well.

In fact, currently USA Philatelic offers water activated gum stamps in 3K and 10K coil rolls for the 10c American Clock, 5c American Toleware, 4c Chippendale Chair, 3c Silver Coffeepot, 2c Navajo Jewelry and 1c Tiffany Lamp stamps.

For the low volume user like most of us, the same stamps are also available in self stick variety sheetlets of 20. The most discernable differences (in addition to the type of gum) is the die cut versus traditional perforations.

I would assume the water activated stamps have a different zscott number than their self-adhesive counterparts.

They sure do! In fact, taking the 44c Flag stamp as an example, the WAG coil is Scott #4391 (perf. 9.75 vert.) printed by (SSP); the PSA stamps, on the other hand, have several varieties:

4392 = Coil Serpentine Die-Cut 11 Vertical w/pointed corners (SSP)
4393 = Coil Serpentine Die Cut 9.5 Vertical (APU)
4394 = Coil Serpentine Die Cut 8.5 Vertical (AVR)
4395 = Coil Serpentine Die Cut 11 Vertical w/rounded corners (AVR)
4396 = Coil Booklet Serpentine Die Cut 11.25 x 10.75 on 3 sides (AVR)

Here is a list of large roll coils available in 100/25 strips:
Scott 4672- 6/1/2012 - 1c Bobcat - Self-adhesive - strip/100 - 789105
1/9/2013 - 1c Bobcat - Water-Activated - strip/100 - 789205
Scott3758A- 6/1/2008-1c Tiffany Lamp Water-Activ.-strip/100- 761505
Scott 3758A- Oct-11 -1c Tiffany Lamp -Water-Activ-strip/100 - 786405
Scott 3758B-2/12/2011- reissue- 2c Navajo Necklace -strip/100- Water- Activated - 788005
Scott 3759- 9/16/2005-3c Silver Coffepot-strip/100- w/back#s- 782905
Scott 3759- 3/1/2013 Reprint- 3c Silver Coffepot- No back #- strip/100 - 782915Scott 3761-7/19/2007-4c Chippendale Chair-Water- Activ-srip/100- 785615
1/4/2014 - Reprint- 4c Chippendale Chair -strip/100- Water-Activated - 705605
Scott 3612- 5/31/2002 - 5c American Toleware -strip/100- w/back numbers-778105
Scott 3612- 12/1/2012 - Reprint- 5c American Toleware -strip/100- No back numbers- 708105
Scott 3763a- 2/1/2013 - Reprint- 10c American Clock -strip/100 - No Tagging variety - 784305
1/27.2014 - 49c Ferns - 10M roll -strip/25 - Over-all Tag- 790803
1/27/2014 - 49c Ferns - 3M roll -strip/25 - w/back numbers- 790003

For the life of me, I can't understand why they don't release souvenir sheets as water activated gum. It's clear to me that consumers love self-adhesive stamps, and collectors love gummed stamps. Souvenir sheets are printed for collectors only. I don't know of too many people that ran out and bought the Inverted Jenny sheet to use as postage. Throw collectors a bone and make those stamps gummed.

"For the life of me, I can't understand why they don't release souvenir sheets as water activated gum. It's clear to me that consumers love self-adhesive stamps, and collectors love gummed stamps. Souvenir sheets are printed for collectors only."

I agree 100%.

This may or may not be factually accurate, but I don't quite understand the reasons behind collectors' preference for gummed stamps. I'm a collector but indifferent between the two. If anything, self-adhesive stamps would eliminate the gum condition as a variable in a stamp's value.

Perhaps most collectors are older folks and tend to be set in their ways.

This may help you understand why stamp collectors prefer water-activated stamps rather than pressure sensitive(self-adhesive)stamps:
http://cool.conservation-us.org/byo...n23-605.html

Since I only collect mint stamps by the pane, none of the concerns about self-stick stamps would be relevant to me. But I can now see why some would prefer gummed stamps, depending on their collecting habits. Thanks for the article though.

Isn't the new Chippendale gummed? Do you still have to buy 10,000?
Tom

In a blog discussing the debate between sticky vs licky stamps, Janet Klug on the usps website says:

"Anytime the Postal Service makes a change in stamps, there's always an outcry from stamp collectors, who want it the way it was back in 1847."

Talk about collectors being set in their ways!

Item 778105 (original printing of 5c American Toleware) is now "off sale" even though it does not say so, at all, in the USA Philatelic catalog.

It's difficult to get a single from a sheet of self adhesives. They also throw off the size of mount you'd need if you are intending on mounting them.


-IBFS

Has the info about the 2 versions of Scott #3612 been verified by anyone else? I recently purchased a roll of 100 of each, USPS #778105 & #708105, and neither one has back numbers. Maybe the frequency of the printing of the numbers is larger than 100? Anybody know?