Why Plate Stamps?

Why would a collector want to plate a stamp? To identify it maybe? But once you have all the information needed to plate the stamp, you should be able to identify the stamp without plating it.

Why would a collector want to plate a stamp?


-IBFS

As I remember the story (fatal pre-condition, but let's stay the course) Dr Chase took up plating as a way to demonstrate that there was plenty of philately to be had with stamps that cost next-to-nothing, eg, that our hobby had not become exclusively a rich man's game.

Since Mr Herst is not here to defend himself, I will not say that I heard it from him.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

IBFS - I don't have the patience to plate stamps, but I have purchased plated collections for the specialty areas I collect. I find the variation in such inexpensive stamps fascinating, especially when someone else does the "fly specking."

Paul

For some stamps, substantially different quantities were printed from each plate, so plating may indicate scarcity and thus have a material impact on value. As an example, consider the GB 1d red plate 77. If your question arises from discussions about plating issues for which there is no material difference in value based on plate, then the answer probably is just curiosity. But even in that case, determining the plate could indicate other things such as whether cancels or auxiliary markings on a cover genuinely correlate to the period of use of stamps from the plate.

A person could ask the same question for many areas of collecting. Why do people fly speck? Why do people collect perfins or precancels? Why do people study color shades?

As an extension of collecting Great Britain as a kid, I found that my Windsor album had many spaces for the 'same' stamp. Upon closer examination they were not the same, the designs were slightly different because they have plate position identifiers. That started me down the road, forty years later I am still seeking some of them. While US remains my highest interest, I still greatly enjoy coming across a Penny Red position which I don't have.
Don

There is a difference between plating a given stamp, like an early UK stamp with the initials in the corners, which can lead to collecting all the variations of those initials and figuring out where on the sheet a stamp was printed (the position). As opposed to collecting copies of the various plate numbers used to print the UK Penny Red, as mentioned by cjpalermo1964.

I understand. Everyone's posts are fascinating to me in answer to this question. Please keep them coming...I'd love to hear more collecting examples like cjpalermo1964 and 51studebaker. It might give me an idea to a new inexpensive direction in collecting.

But here's the thing...Do you buy a stamp from ebay and then plate it, or are there online places that cater to those who collect and plate stamps?

And that Chase book is $100 for a most recent revision! God Forgive me but I covet the copies of it that anyone here has.



-IBFS

https://goscf.com/t/46872 ... Could someone provide a link to Plating 101?

Good Lord. Did you look at your own reference Ike? It opens up to things which opens up to other things and so on. It showed me I know absolutely nothing and would have to sit down with somebody or read a book to learn how to plate stamps, for each stamp that can be plated.


-IBFS

The electronic library of the USPCS has the 1942 revised edition.

I bought a first issue copy on ebay. I should have waited and picked up the revised edition.
Oh well. Mine does have Herman Herst Jr's signature along with a neat Cinderella stamp advertising his store.

I thought that the takeaway from that thread was that there were now two meanings to the word 'plating'.

1) DIY. No need, because:

2) Look it up. Many stamps that can be plated have been plated. You might worry that each one has been done by someone else, to that person's standards, by that person's methodology, with that person's lexicon ... and I do not know if you'd be right.

In either sense of the word 'plating', it is gonna be a fair amount of work and so, as Don pointed out, you're gonna wanna figure out if its for you.

If you decide it is not, let me know, and I will re-assure you that you have made the right decision, correctly husbanding your mental, emotional & spiritual resources for more sensible pursuits.

And, if you decide that it is for you, let me know, and I will re-assure you that you have what it takes, are cut out for the job, and will reap great joy from your new pursuit.

Just don't look for me to join you

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

Just wanted to put in my $.02 here....which is really why I started to plate--

At first it was that I wanted to be able to go to a stamp show, or to ebay, and buy all of the 10's that were marked as 11's, or to buy a 10 and know that it was a 10 and not an 11-- and 10 and 10A's are now defined as not just orange brown, but specifically coming from plates 1e, 1i, 2e, 5e and 0. So, to really ID the stamp as a 10, it needs to be plated, or at least to have the plate identified.

Next, I was trying to find a Type Va 1c 1857. Every time I found a 1c-er without plate scratches on the right, I was sure it was a Va. But, relief "A", "E" and "F" never have scratches, so that isn't enough-- the Type Va only comes from a majority of positions on Plate 5-- so really, the stamp has to be plated. And there are some Plate 7 and 8 stamps that look like they should be Va, BUT, they're only Va if they're from specific positions on Plate 5.

So, I never have proceeded with the 3c #10's and #11's, because for me, the plates were very difficult to determine. But, I've found that the 1c'ers are easier, and the Neinken book is (at least for me) worlds easier to use than the Chase book.

So, if a collector is collecting....filling spaces, plating isn't really necessary, but to specialize and to find some of the different varieties, plating is very, very helpful.

Hope this helps! Ray

I don't considerate the Red Penny fly specking. Aside of plate 77 and for many the 225 , they are quite affordable and they even listed in Scott Classic catalogue, that is not a specialize one.

I know it's off topic, but this kind of thing is why I don't collect US stamps. It just shouldn't be that difficult to ID major catalog numbers - Scott should have given minor number listings to varieties that minor. Their policy of giving major number to minor varieties is directly related to another reason I don't collect US - too many high-priced rarities amongst the major numbers. They only seem to do this for the US, however. For most other countries, minor varieties get a minor letter entry or none at all.

Anyway, I have admiration for those that have the patience to plate a stamp, but like Ikey, I won't be joining them anytime soon.

They do it also in Canada, The Scott 32 is plain stupid, only 3 exist and Lighthouse is not more bright, they include a space for it.

1- it can be fun to complete the puzzle, in many cases on the cheap

2- in my case, because I want yo know everything about my stamps, and specially, because I'm in unexplored territory. Discovery is very rewarding.

3- supreme boss told me it was impossible to plate what I'm working on right now. That's a big motivation.

4- just to show that it can be done, and that it can be easier than thought.

5- just so you don't follow what a catalog tells you to collect. We are free and collect whatever we want.

6- show that anything that can be done with classics, can be done with stamps less than 80 years old.