New Formats For Some US Stamps Coming In June 2012

A "breaking news" excerpt from the 04/17/2012 USPS "Stamp of Approval" blog about new formats of existing stamps coming out in June 2012. Of particular interest is the booklet of 10 of the Four Flag Stamps--in that there are four designs, two will (of necessity) be left out in a booklet of 10 format:

wt1, since the other two Four Flags booklets were produced by AP and SSP, it seems likely that AV will print this one. That will of course make a total of six different sets of the Four Flags series - three coils, two 20-stamp booklets and now the 10-stamp booklet. I haven't purchased any of the booklets as yet, but the coils are easily identified as follows:

AV - approx perf 8.25 die cut serpentine with a "larger" microprinting. On all three, the microprinting appears in the same location on the right side of the bottom white stripe of the flag.
AP - approx perf 9.5 die cut with smaller microprinting, square corners.
SSP - approx perf 11.2 die cut with smaller microprinting, rounded corners on bottom.

What unique differences have you seen on the booklets?

I did post this in another thread, but here's a copy of my findings on the booklets:

Thanks for the info. Are there also any differences in the perforations, or with the microprinting on the stamps?

There may or may not be minor differences in the perforations, but very slight at best. Frankly, I don't see it.

Likewise, the microprinting appears the same spot on all four stamps of each variety.

Finally, note that I have highlighted in yellow a small variation in the vertical dashes that are in the margin where the booklets would be folded, it appears the (APU) variety uses larger dashes; the (SSP) alternating larger and smaller dashes, and there is also seems to be a variation in the spacing between the dashes on each booklet variety:



So much for flyspecking these varieties.

I was hoping the New Format was water activated gum...

I've been able to glean the following additional information about the two types of Four Flags booklet stamps that might help in identifying which is which. Note that the microprinting for both is located on the right side of the flag in the white stripe as it was with the coils.

APU - Matte finish, and the "USA" is bold.
SSP - Glossy finish, the "USA" is thinner.

It should be interesting to see what differences will appear on the AV 10-stamp booklet stamps.

I think we all were.