Modern Canada Plate Block Numbers

In the Unitrade catalogue there is mention for Scott/Unitrade # 1249-1250 with plate 1 and plate 2 by Canada Post but only plate 1 has been found.

Other stamps that have been found with plate 1 in a circle in the selvage margin are Scott/Unitrade # 1203, 1270, 1288. Has plate 2 ever been discovered for them? Any others like these?

Scott/Unitrade # 1181, 1181i, 1182, 1182i, 1183, 1183i appear to have both plates 1 and 2. Does the same apply to Scott/Unitrade # 1375, 1376, 1378?

Most stamps do not show a plate number unless there are two different plates.





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Interesting jogil...Makes you think..Will have to check mine.

Robert

I do have all of those plate blocks but only Plate 1. Considering they were all commemoratives, it surprises me that they would have a second plate. At the time these stamps were issued, Canada Post was still standing by their policy of selling commemorative issues as long as they were in stock. If after one full calendar year their was stock left over, it was destroyed. This differs considerably today, where Canada Post is still flogging commemorative issues that are 2-3 years old.

Brad: It seems that plates 1 and 2 were used for some high value definitives that were printed by two different printers such as follows: https://adminware.ca/checklist/chk_wild_arch.htm
However, I have found it curious as to why some commemoratives have these plate numbers when only plate 1 was used.

Sometimes two plates were used because the press was made to use two paired printing plates together which was the usual configuration for some rotary printing presses. However, it appears that with more modern stamp issues that one plate was from one printing company and the other plate was from another printing company for a similar stamp issue.