Plate Numbers On Modern Strips Of PNC?

Plate numbers appear on the front on most (but not) coils printed after 1980. Before then, the plate numbers were in the selvage of the sheet and cut off when the sheets were cut into coils. On the older coils, sometimes you could see the plate number if the coil was significantly miscut.

The interval for which the plate number appeared depends on the press used, but if I remember correctly, will range from 8 to 52 stamps.

The inventory control number (sprayed on the back) was only used briefly. As far as I know, it is no longer used by USPS. However, I no longer actively collect modern US, so I will leave it to others to confirm/correct.

If I remember correctly, the inventory control number was sprayed on AFTER the stamps were gummed for US stamps (this is not necessarily true for stamps of other countries). Therefore, you should not be able to see the inventory control numbers on postally used US coils.

khj,

Thanks for pointing out its printed on the gum and would come off when stuck on an envelope - not to mention I was actually trying to look at the back of self-adhesive stamps on paper.

I looked up an older thread https://goscf.com/t/7379 on the inventory control numbers on US stamps. Apparently, the number can still remain in certain cases, especially if the stamp is removed by unconventional methods. Also it looks like the ink might bleed through the gum sometimes. So yes, you might still be able to see the number holding the on-paper stamp through the light, but it can be difficult. More obvious when the stamp is carefully removed. Also keep in mind that the inventory number appears only on the back every 10th stamp (or its liner).

I tried googling for more info. Not much luck. I did find out there is an article written by Charles Snee in the June 12, 2000 issue of Linns. So if anyone has a copy of that issue can you scan the article in for us or provide details from it?

Thanks

Q/ Are you entirely certain of this? I have an awfully distinct memory of buying whole coils in the late 1960s (US Prominent Americans series) to rip out the coil line pairs / plate number strips of three, which appeared regularly, and were not dependent on miscuts.

But my pre-70s memories are less-trustworthy than my post-70s memories, such as they are.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Coil line pairs on the Prominent Americans coils, yes. Plate numbers on the stamps, no. The only way you would have gotten plate numbers on those coils was if it was miscut. The plate numbers did not purposely appear on the coils until AFTER 1980.

ikeyPikey,

Is this what you remember seeing?



Source: 2012 Durland Plate Number Catalog page 154

As to the counted numbers on the back, there is no mention of them in Durland, but I was able to find another fact on them online. They first appeared on the back of G rate flag coil scott #2891. I have a 2014 Scott Specialized checked out from the library and there is no mention of the back counting numbers in there either.

IkeyPikey, khj is correct with his statement about the timing of the plate numbers on the stamp. The first stamp to have the plate number printed on the stamp was the 18 cent Flag and Anthem issue, coil stamp # 1891 and issued April 24, 1981.
To be politically correct, the small number on the stamp is not the plate number! These coils are assigned plate numbers as before, but these numbers are no longer printed on the sheets.

Peter

I am happy to acknowledge that khj has it right.

It is good to have folks to rely upon.

To be even more correct, the true plate number was in fact printed in the margins of at least some post 1980 stamp issues as witnessed by the plate numbers in the margins of certain press sheets (the one I can recall off the top of my head was Bugs Bunny - but I know there were a few others - nowadays they trim the margins of the all the press sheets, so we can't see whether they still have real plate numbers or just the psuedo-plate numbers we see on the as issued product we get in the post offices).

Eyeonwall, I was referring to coils only here, since that was the subject of this thread!
On regular stamps the plate number was never printed on the stamps itself, as far as I know!

Peter

Re: counting numbers aka back numbers

Yes, they are still used although some recent low value coils don't have them. They only appear on large coils (rolls of 3K and 10K). The interval these days is typically every 10 stamps but some issues have had them every 20. One earlier issue, the 5c Mountain printed by Avery Dennison, Scott 2904A, had them on every stamp. While you may be able to see a counting number on a water activated stamp on cover, that's not possible on a self-adhesive one as the counting numbers are printed on the backing paper.

Some PNC collectors save strips with counting numbers to varying degrees as a sub-specialty. While some may save just an example of each, others try to obtain every possible position. Generally, strips with the counting number on the back of the stamp with the plate number command a premium over other positions. The premium can vary among different issues depending on the plate number and counting number intervals and how frequently they coincide. For some issues with counting numbers, number on number examples don't exist.

The PNC3 web site (https://pnc3.org/) has data pages for each coil. That data includes the plate number and counting number intervals.