| Author |
 Replies: 20 / Views: 1,969 |
|
Valued Member
191 Posts |
|
|
|
I bought a strip of 25 from the 3k coil of Mountain Flora. If the 4 stamps are designated as 1234, the sequencing of them on my strip turns out to be 1234123412341234123412412. Note that the last 5 stamps show a strange order, with stamp #3 missing in the sequence.
Now, I'm not into collecting coil strips per se, so I've no idea whether this sort of thing is normal. If it is, can someone provide an explanation why it is so.
Many thanks.
|
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
|
|
Pillar Of The Community
United States
1493 Posts |
|
|
Am not familiar with the coils that you mention, but as I recall the 2020 orchid coils also had a strange sequencing. But that issue had 10 different designs rather than 4. If I remember correctly, one could not collect a normal plate strip of 11 with identical designs on each end of the strip and the plate number on the middle stamp. So Scott lists a plate strip of 10 (plate number on the 9th stamp I think) in their catalogue in lieu of a strip of 11.
Added: Found an e-mail that I had sent another collector in 2020. The sequence for the 10-design orchids was a strip of 27:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The plate number was on the 2nd occurence of the 9th design. For this issue, designs 1 thru 3 only occur twice in the 27-stamp sequence.
Note that this may have created problems for plate number coil collectors. In some 25-stamp strips, it is possible that no plate number strip of 10 would be present. |
Send note to Staff 
|
| Edited by JLLebbert - 04/02/2022 03:43 am |
|
|
Bedrock Of The Community
12552 Posts |
|
|
From Linn's: Quote:
A plate number ("P" followed by four single digits) appears on every 27th stamp in a given roll of 3,000 or 10,000. The plate number always appears on a Pasqueflower stamp because of the even number of different designs (four) and the odd plate number interval.
Included in upcoming Scott catalog listings for the Mountain Flora coil stamps are unlettered listings for a plate number strip of seven and a plate number strip of nine. In both strips, a Pasqueflower stamp bearing plate number P1111 is the center stamp.
A plate number strip of seven contains one Scott 5672 and two each of Scott 5673-5675. The Pasqueflower stamp without a plate number is in position seven in the strip.
Two each of Scott 5672-5674 and three each of Scott 5675 (one with plate number) comprise a plate number strip of nine. The two Pasqueflower stamps without a plate number are in positions one and eight in the strip.
As shown on the plate number strip of seven illustrated here, there are gaps between each stamp in a roll, and the stamps are on backing paper taller than the stamps. These features allow the use of automated equipment to affix the stamps to large quantities of mailpieces in a short period of time. https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamp...-coil-stamps |
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
Pillar Of The Community
United States
4079 Posts |
|
|
Quote:
The plate number always appears on a Pasqueflower stamp because of the even number of different designs (four) and the odd plate number interval. Nonsense. The plate number always appears on a Pasqueflower stamp because that is where they put it. The weird sequence that Rider was asking about is because the plate diameter (27) is not evenly dividable by the number of designs (4). If the plate was 28 around there would be no odd sequence. |
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
Bedrock Of The Community
12552 Posts |
|
|
Pillar Of The Community
United States
8956 Posts |
|
|
Pillar Of The Community
United States
4276 Posts |
|
|
Quote:
The plate number always appears on a Pasqueflower stamp because that is where they put it.  |
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
Bedrock Of The Community
12552 Posts |
|
|
Valued Member
191 Posts |
|
|
Quote:
Nonsense. The plate number always appears on a Pasqueflower stamp because that is where they put it. The weird sequence that Rider was asking about is because the plate diameter (27) is not evenly dividable by the number of designs (4). If the plate was 28 around there would be no odd sequence. That explains the occurrence of the weird sequence, but does not seem to explain the specifics of the weird sequence. Is there any reason why stamp #3 is missing, rather than stamp #4? In other words, why for the last 5 stamps the sequence is 12412 and not 12312? Perhaps it was just a random choice? |
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
Bedrock Of The Community
12552 Posts |
|
|
Perhaps it has something to do with also having to cut booklet panes from the same stock? |
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
Valued Member
206 Posts |
|
|
Quote:
Perhaps it has something to do with also having to cut booklet panes from the same stock? Absolutely not. If you've seen the booklet and the coils it would be obvious that that is impossible. Eyeonwall explained it correctly. The myth of plate number position varying in a different sequence than stamp designs comes up occasionally, and it's always incorrect. You're correct that the beef is with Linn's for the way it was reported. |
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
Bedrock Of The Community
12552 Posts |
|
|
Valued Member
206 Posts |
|
|
Quote:
Is there any reason why stamp #3 is missing, rather than stamp #4? In other words, why for the last 5 stamps the sequence is 12412 and not 12312? Perhaps it was just a random choice? The random choice has to do with the strip you received. With a plate circumference of 27 stamps, there are 27 different possibilities among strips of 25 ordered from USPS. So the stamp you label as #1 just happens to be the first stamp on your strip. Other strips may start with a different design. Since 4 is not a multiple of 27, one design had to be under-represented when the cylinder was made. The actual sequence, and which design was short-changed, was decided by the printer, is perhaps a random choice for them, but will always be the same design no matter how you number the different designs. |
|
Send note to Staff
|
| Edited by philatomic - 04/03/2022 12:10 am |
|
|
Pillar Of The Community
United States
4079 Posts |
|
|
Rog - I wasn't calling you out. You clearly quoted Linn's and I was disagreeing with them.
Rider - the reason for which one was shortchanged is unknown.
TM - "The actual sequence, and which design was short-changed, was decided by the printer".
Or decided by the USPS.
typos fixed |
|
Send note to Staff
|
| Edited by eyeonwall - 04/03/2022 09:33 am |
|
|
Valued Member
191 Posts |
|
|
Quote:
The random choice has to do with the strip you received. With a plate circumference of 27 stamps, there are 27 different possibilities among strips of 25 ordered from USPS. So the stamp you label as #1 just happens to be the first stamp on your strip. Other strips will start with a different design.
Since 4 is not a multiple of 27, one design had to be under-represented when the cylinder was made. The actual sequence, and which design was short-changed, was decided by the printer, is perhaps a random choice for them, but will always be the same design no matter how you number the different designs. OK. Just to make sure I'm understanding this correctly, what you are saying is that, given a 27 stamp circumference, one of the 4 stamp designs has to be eliminated on the strip, and which stamp takes the axe is a decision of the printer. But once this decision is made, all trips regardless of the starting sequence will have the same stamp missing somewhere on any given strip. |
|
Send note to Staff
|
|
|
Bedrock Of The Community
12552 Posts |
|
|
Replies: 20 / Views: 1,969 |
|
Posted 04/02/2022 03:03 am
