"Skips" In Scott Numbering

Maybe Scott should be numbering by date of issue which has good points and bad. Stamps from each series may not be together but it would be a lot easier to find them in many cases.

I know renumbering is a pain for everyone but maybe it is time.

Leaving blocks for future issues would not be a concern, missing numbers would not be a concern, and if a variety shows up, use a sub number.

I honestly think the way they have been doing it creates a lot of issues the way series can be spaced out over many years, or abruptly discontinued. It may have worked in the past when there were less stamps issued but possibly it is time for a change.

Personally I would like to see all catalogs catalog by year of issue rather than sections based on series or types

Might be an interesting subject for a new thread

Great idea, Dutchman1948! I am member of a club called PNC3. Our catalog which only lists plate number coils, is based on a year listing. For instance, 1981-1 is the first plate number coil issued, the 18 cent 'from sea to shining sea'. Any variety of this stamp could than be identified by an added number, like 1985-17.42 ( 4.9 cent Buckboard precancel with the Buggy Whip platecrack variety ). The system is not without its faults, but it is better than deleted numbers, capital letters after a number, and all the other confusing ways of numbering stamps.

Peter

Look at the Scott listings for late 19th century, and early 20th century, Portuguese India. Lots of missing numbers there. In the late 1950s, for reasons now largely lost, Scott removed a number of stamps on grounds that they did not exist or were never officially issued. Funny thing is that they DO exist, as I have a couple of the "non-existent" stamps.

Similar to ArtfulHinger's example of Japan would be the way Scott handled the Machin listings in the GB section. There are numerous gaps in the catalogue from where the stamps used to be listed more or less in chronological place before the editors decided to group all of the Machins together after the regular listings.