Purple Heart Reissues

Today, I picked up some 2014 Reissue Purple Heart stamps with a "B" Prefix. Are these newer reissues yet?

I believe the original 2014 reissues were Scott 4704a and 4704b.......depending if it had a "C" or "V" prefix.

Then, the reissue in 2015 still had the 2014 date, but with a micro "USPS" on it, and an "S" prefix. This was assigned Scott 5035.

But, I cannot find any info with sheets with the "B" prefix. If it weren't for the prefix, I cannot tell the difference between this reissue and the 2015 reissues with the "S" prefix. The design looks to be identical down to the micro "USPS".

Any help / clarification / correction from my confusion with all of the reissues is appreciated.

Cougar, I am not familiar with your stamp, but on another post I mentioned a similar happening. Scott 5052 was issued last year with a "P" plate number prefix. A while later, without any announcement rolls of the coil were found with a "B" prefix. Turns out that the printer of the stamps was sold. The stamps now bear the BCA plate number prefix. Does this help?


Peter

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you are saying. But, I was under the impression that if there are different printers (prefix), although the design is the same, then there are unique Scott numbers assigned to each. At least that is what is done with the various flag issues that are issued each year from different printers.

This is my list.

4704 F(45¢) Purple Heart Medal (2012) "C" CCL
4704 F(45¢) Purple Heart Medal (2012) "V" AVR
4704b F(45¢) Purple Heart Medal (2014) "B"
5035 F(49¢) Purple Heart S plate, microprint at left of ribbon


This has a better list.
http://www.apnss.org/PurpleHeart.html

Great Reference. Thanks! The one I just picked up looks identical to the Scott 5035 with the "USPS" microprint along the top left of the ribbon, and 2014 on bottom left. Only difference, is the plate prefix. "B" instead of "S". Since the USPS makes no announcements with these reissues, I guess it is a 2016 or 2017 reissue. So, maybe it will end up being given a Scott 5035a. I guess we'll have to wait and see how Scott handles it. Thanks for all of the input!

angore---

I guess we can add to your list:

5035a F(49¢) Purple Heart B plate, microprint at left of ribbon

Just as an FYI, here is part of the sheet that I just picked up. Making plate blocks with this one.

Cougar: Judging from the position of the date on your "B" purple heart, the date is still 2014. Scott will not assign a new number just based on a different plate number ... unless there is some other difference, both the original "S" and the "B" reprint will still be 5035 rather than 5035a. Note that something similar occurred for 4704. Both the original "V" and the reprint "C" plate numbers had 2012 dates and were assigned 4704. A later "C" reprint with 2014 date was assigned 4704b.

If I am looking at these correctly, it looks as if the difference between 4704b and 5035 is that there is a microprint under the left side of the ribbon. Also, the 5035 is an offset stamp, Not so with the 4704b. Is this correct?

Jack Kelley

You are correct. While both 4074b & 5035 sport 2014 dates, only 5035 has the microprinting. 4074b was produced via photogravure, 5035 was offset. The only other difference I can recall are the orders in which the different inks appeared in the plate numbers. While I never checked, the colors did appear the same, just in different order.
Added: Something I frequently forget to check are the die-cuts. While both 4704 & 5035 are die-cut gauge 11, the die-cuts are a bit different.

While the designs are basically the same, there is usually a difference in the microprinting and/or in the die cutting, so they get a different catalog number. In this case, the switch from S to B was merely in the name of who was printing them - the stamps were the same because they used the same plates and paper etc.

I would just do not like Scott determine how you collect stamps. They have their methods for classifying stamps. If you collect them as plate number singles you have two real varieties.

Thanks, all, for your comments and the lesson on how Scott determines numbers. I'm still somewhat of a newbie (only been collecting for about 5 years), so I'm still learning. But, as angore said, I think I will still include these in my personal collection next to the "S" 5035 since they have different plate numbers, even though they don't have their own unique Scott number.

Cougar, you are so correct. The whole idea behind Plate Number Collecting is that the stamp with the plate number printed on it is basically different from the rest. If the plate number changes we have a new variety, whether the design changes or not.


Peter