Scott 703 Plate Number Questions

Hi. Good day to all.

I am having difficulty pertaining to this block of 10 stamps. There seems to be errors to identify these margin block stamps.

1) Scott 703's margin block of 6 is described with having two plates numbers, word TOP and arrow and marker.

2) Scott Margin block of 8 is suppose to have 2 plate numbers, Word TOP and no marking.( no arrow or marker at all near the word TOP presented).
3) Since the word TOP is present, it has to be either a margin block 6 or a margin block 8.
If you count the 6 stamps for a margin block 6 then another plate number locating in the selvage should be presented, but not there.
If you including the two plate numbers together, then it would be 8 stamps and the red marking near "TOP" should not be presented at all

These questions I would truly appreciate if someone could help me with a few answers.
A) Does anyone have any information if these plate numbers are genuine at all? I do find this item to be strange with errors, but they can also possibly be very unique This group of stamps not often seen at the stamp show I have attended, so I purchased them.

B) With the plate numbers next to each other as seen, does this have anything to do with a difference between first and second plate layers?
C) Does anyone have a photograph what a margin block 6 or 8 looks like to help me with a comparison or differences with these 10 stamps? I never seen a sheet of the Scott 703's stamps before.

Any assistance would be so helpful. Thank you in advance.



*** Edited by Staff to clarify topic title. Titles are important! ***

that is not what I wrote in there at all..What happened here? I had it written about the 703's...

The plate numbers are valid.

703 multiples.

Your browser 'remembers' the previous times you have entered info for the title field. As a way of 'helping' you as you started to type in the title field it 'auto-entered' the remaining title for you and you probably didn't notice it did this.

I've changes the title.
Don

There were two layouts of the bi-color stamp plates; the first layout (without the arrows) and the second layout (with the arrows). I assume the arrow was added in the second layout to assist the production and ensure the second pass color printing was correctly done (aligned).
Don





If you are going to be purchasing and collecting plate blocks, I would recommend purchasing a Durland's catalog to help you ID and understand the this area of collecting.
http://www.usstamps.org/store/

Hello. Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers participating or reading in the forum!

Thank you Andy and Don for your valuable information. Don, I will seek about getting this book. Normally I don't collect many plate blocks, but I do love the 703's. I enjoy learning about the different plate varieties. I know a business associate who owns a stamp store which might have a duplicate book for his customers. If he doesn't, thank you so much to provide the information where I could purchase it.

So, what I gather with the information provided above, it is determined that my group of stamps are a TL First Plate Layout with marking near word "TOP." without PC in the margins.
Thank you Andy for providing your stamps photograph similar to mine, but with different plate numbers. So, it was not a mistake with the marking on the far right near TOP since Andy has also the same design pattern with his photograph. He wrote there are 703 multiples. Since does not have arrow markings between plates, including plate numbers with the 8 frame plates are sequenced higher, only conclusion can be is 6 margin plates within a first plate layout.
Am I correct with this description and this conclusion?

And Happy Mother's Day to you.

You can determine the first or second layout by using the plate numbers; your example has 20476 as the vignette plate number and 20478 as the frame plate. This make the only possibility as the first layout and is supported by the lack of any arrows.

Some plate number are very rare and much more valuable than others. This is typically due to the fact that some plates had much shorter production runs than others. The Durland catalog will help you understand which plate numbers are less common. Some folks try to collect every plate number for a specific issue. As you might have noticed for the #703 stamp above, there are almost 500 possible plate number combinations! A lifetime effort no doubt.
Don

Thank you do much Don for providing an example of a Second Plate Layout to show a comparison. This is excellent information for the US Scott 703's Scott does not provide this information more thoroughly to help determine the scarce and the common plates.

I was just shown that my stamps plate numbers are valid under Frame and Center that were sent to Press. Thank you Andy for providing me that information earlier!

Don has a TL second layout for a 8 frame plate based on the three format pictures he provided near this chart. The vignette plate is #20658, and 8 Frame plate # 20649 in red. This stamp is considered common instead of scarce with the position in the first TL format.There is no existence with plate in TR position format.
Another example ( but not pictured in the photograph) if Don's stamps had the number # 20659 for black for instance, since top with the red 20649 it would be considered scarce plate number within a TL format, and common plate numbers within a TR format.

do much...opps. it was to be Thank you so much, Don!