Plate Block, Plock Of 4?? I'm Lost!

I have a question for the forum. This may be a simple question but it's been bugging me for days now.

Is there a difference between a "Plate block of 4" stamps and a "Block of 4" that appear to be from a full sheet? The PB/4 obviously have the selvege, (-5pts spelling) and the plate number, but how do you tell the difference between that and a corner of a full sheet that has the plate number for that full sheet? Are they the same thing, or is a PB/4 specifically printed to be a block of 4 stamps?

Have I lost anyone yet?

Devlin

As you say, the PB4 has the plate number in the selvage of the sheet. A plain block of 4 is just a block of 4 stamps from anywhere on the sheet. If the plain block of 4 is from the edge of the sheet, it then can have the selvage attached. If the block of 4 is from the corner and has the selvage and the plate number then it is then a plate number block of 4.

I think your confusion may be coming from omitting the word number from the phrase plate number block of 4. I have always understood the phrase plate block of 4 to mean that the plate number is in the selvage, and the phrase block of 4 to simply mean 4 stamps attached and may be from anywhere on the sheet.

Hope this makes sense.

Ron

Inscription Plate Block


Matched Set of Inscription Blocks. All four corners.
When blocks are collected singularly, collectors usually will try to collect all the same corner.
UL. Upper Left
UR. Upper Right
LL. Lower Left
LR. Lower Right.



Corner Block with selvage. No inscription.


Block with, "TRAFFIC LIGHTS". The dots that show the ink colours used in printing the stamp.


Block of four from anywhere on a sheet of stamps.

Thanks folks,

That makes it a little clearer now.

Note also that the plate block for some U.S. stamps is actually a block of eight; I'm thinking of the Martin Luther King issue from the 15c era where the information on colors used in printing were spread across the top of the selvedge area.

According to 22nd edition (1996) of The Postal Service Guide to US Stamps, there are also many US plate number blocks that have 10, 12, 20 and even at least one with 35 stamps. Below are only a few listed by Scott number.

10 stamp plate blocks: 1384; 1559; 1837; 2811a

12 stamp plate blocks: 1471; 1794; 1831; 1842; C97

20 stamp plate blocks: 1498a; 1729; 1843; 2104; 2838

35 stamp plate block: 2730a

Ok, now you are just trying to mess me up aren't you?

The 2008 44-cent Wedding Ring self adhesive stamp comes on a sheet of 20 stamps. I don't see a sheet number, but I see a little diagram that indicates "plate position". I would appreciate any information about how do deal with and display this issue (as a single/as a block/as a sheet, etc). If it would be easier to refer me to something already published, I would be glad to go there and read whatever is available. Thanks

Hello Devlin........

No one is trying to mess with your brain........Here's a couple of blocks that show the necessity of saving more than just a Plate # block of 4.......a plate # for each color.

I haven't seen the full pane, but look carefully -- in at least one of the corners there should be a plate number of "S" followed by 5 digits. Normally these are collected in plate blocks of 4.

The stamp was actually issued this year, even though the copyright date is 2008. USPS really messes with our minds. In most countries, the year printed on the stamp is actual year of issue -- not the case with USPS.

Why make things easy when you can make them harder?

Kim

Kim, I see an "S11 11" on the front in the four quadrants of the selvage. On the bottom I see "Plate Position" shows 2 rows of 4 squares one row atop the other with the top left square blacked out. On the back of the sheet is the barcode with "574200" in the quadrants but not matching the quadrant positions of the "S11 11" on the front. So would I select the four corner stamps including the "S11 11" for a block of four. Is that just clear as mud? Thanks...Shalom

David,

Belated welcome to Stamp Community Forum!

Any corner block of 4 will be considered a valid plate block. I no longer actively collect modern US plate blocks, so I don't know if there is any preference anymore among collectors, but in general there is no premium associated with any particular position -- there are very very few exceptions, and mostly on pre-1980 BEP issues.

When they first came out in the 1990s, I would collect the blocks with the pane position diagrams, but then USPS was inconsistent about the placement so I (and many other PB collectors tossed that idea out the window).

The traditional favored position is the upper right PB; however, that tradition pretty much got tossed out when BEP began printing the oversized PBs that Tom showed above. It's been ages since I met anyone who still went after UR positions only.

Regarding the plate number on the wedding ring stamp -- there are actually 5 digits, that middle digit may be difficult to see because it is likely a color like yellow. Hold at an angle (you may need a magnifier) and you should be able to see it. Also, the yellow tends to glow under UV lamp -- but I don't have that stamp so I don't know if that digit is for yellow or some other faint color.

Enjoy your stamps and your visits to SCF!

k

Thanks KHJ. We weren't going to collect blocks, but I was just wondering how it is done by those who do collect them. I collected them when I first started in the hobby.

USPS almost destroyed US plate block collecting in the 1980s after over a decade of those oversized PBs. This collecting area has never fully recovered, with many collectors limiting themselves to the stamps from the tradition plate block of 4 era.

USPS tried to revive PB collecting by going to the opposite extreme and putting plate numbers at every corner. But the problem of not having a consistent format made that meaningless, as it forced many collectors to buy and hang onto the entire pane until the "catalog makers" determined the "proper format".

I've found PB collecting to be a lot of fun. Later, I focused primarily on definitive and airmail PBs, trying to get every plate number/position starting from the WWII era and later.

That collection is now stored away, as I've gone back to my childhood love of collecting worldwide. You're never too old to keep dreaming the impossible dream!

k

When I first started collecting stamps, my mother would bring plate blocks home to me after shopping. It seems that in the late 50s and early 60s there were USPS outlets in popular department stores. Interesting bit of trivia, don't you think? Anyway, I thought they were beautiful since they were my only mint stamps at that time.

Also, slight change in subject but I use to receive approvals from HE Harris and they seemed reasonable in price back then. I was shocked when I received an approval selection from Mystic. They love their stamps more than I do...LOL...I sent them back immediately. Needless to say, I am thankful that I have a dealer here in FL who has prices that I don't mind paying.

Just so you know . . . . just because k moved away from PBs doesn't mean she won't infect you with the virus. I'm now trying to collect all positions for all plate numbers for quite a few of my favorite US Airmails. I just got my stock pages in today so I'll scan and share some in the next week or so.