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Spotlight on the 37¢ Flag issues

A number of 37¢ Flag stamps were issued in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. Some are difficult to distinguish. Knowing the plate number helps. Here they all are in one place.

The following printers were used on the various 37¢ Flag issues:

  • No prefix - Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP)
  • B - Banknote Corporation of America (BCA)
  • P - Ashton-Potter USA (AP)
  • S - Sennett Security Printers (SSP)
  • V - Avery-Dennison (AV)

Non-denominated (37¢) issues

The non-denominated stamps were prepared in advance of the rate change. Letters were used to designate non-denominated stamps from 15¢ (A) through 33¢ (H). The 34¢ rate change stamps were not designated with a letter, possibly to avoid referring to them as "I-rate" stamps. If a letter had been used for the 37¢ stamps, it would have been J.

Sheet stamps

Scott 3620, (37¢) Flag water-activated sheet, 2002 date. Printed by Ashton-Potter USA (AP).

Plate numbers used:  P1111

      

Scott 3621, (37¢) Flag self-adhesive sheet, small 2002 date. Printed by AP.

Plate numbers used: P1111, P2222, P3333

 

Coil stamps

   

Scott 3622, (37¢) Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2002 date, perf 9.8, square corners. Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).

Plate numbers used:  1111, 2222

Scott 3622a, (37¢) Flag self-adhesive coil, 2002 date, imperf. error, plate number 1111

 

Booklet stamps

      

Scott 3623, (37¢) Flag self-adhesive booklet, perf 11-1/4, small 2002. Printed by Banknote Corporation of America (BCA).

Booklet pane of 20, Scott 3623a

Plate numbers used: B1111, B2222, B3333

 

Scott 3624, (37¢) Flag self-adhesive booklet, perf 10-1/2 x 10-3/4, large 2002. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by Sennett Security Printers (SSP).

Double sided convertible booklet of 20, Scott 3624c

Plate numbers used: S1111

 

Scott 3625, (37¢) Flag ATM panel, perf / die cut 8. Printed by Avery-Dennison (AV).

ATM pane of 18, Scott 3625a

Plate numbers used: V1111

 

37¢ issues with denomination

Sheet stamps

Scott 3629F, 37¢ Flag water-activated sheet stamp, 2003 date. Printed by AP.

Plate numbers used: P1111

         

Scott 3630, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive sheet, small 2002, die cut 11-1/4 x 11. Printed by AP.

Plate numbers used: P1111, P2222, P3333, P4444, P5555

 

Coil stamps

Scott 3631, 37¢ Flag water-activated stamp from coils of 100, 3000 and 10,000; perf 9.8, 2002 date. Printed by SSP.

Plate numbers used: S1111

 

                            

Scott 3632, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2002 date, die cut 10 (actually 9.8), square corners, prephosphored paper. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by BEP.

Plate numbers used: 1111, 2222, 3333, 4444, 5555, 6666, 7777, 8888, 9999, 1111A, 2222A, about 90% of the printing run for plate 3333A, 4444A, 5555A. Plate number interval every 24 stamps

The sequence is yellow, magenta, cyan, black (YMCB) on plates 1111 through 9999, plus 5555A.

         

The sequence of the plate numbers is cyan, magenta, yellow, black (CMYB) on plates 1111A through 4444A.

A variation was reported in August 2005 where the final three colors (magenta, cyan and black) "555A" appear on the traditional plate number single, but the single yellow 5 appears one stamp to the left. As of March 2018, this has not been officially verified and no scan was available.

        

Scott 3632b, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive coil, 2002 date, imperf (die cutting omitted) error. Points of stars show at upper left. Plate numbers 3333, 4444, 6666, 1111A

Scott 3632b has also been reported with plate numbers 2222, 7777 and 3333A

     

Scott 3632b var, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive coil, 2002 date, imperf (die cutting omitted) error, miscut, plate numbers 7777, 1111A, 3333A. (P#3333A image courtesy of The Philatelic Foundation)

Scott 3632 var, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive coil, 2002 date, die cut 10 (actually 9.8), square corners, non-prephosphored paper, tagged. Points of stars show at upper left.

Plate numbers used: about 10% of the printing run for plate 3333A

 

Scott 3633, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive stamp from coils of 3000 and 10,000, 2002 date, perf 8-1/2, rounded corners. Points of stars show at upper left.  Printed by BCA.

Plate numbers used: B1111

 

         

Scott 3632A, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2003 date, die cut 10.2, slanted corners. Points of stars missing at upper left. Prephosphored paper, solid tagging, non-reactive red ink  Printed by SSP.

Plate numbers used: S1111, S2222, S3333, S4444

Scott 3632A var, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2003 date, die cut 10.2, slanted corners. Points of stars missing at upper left. Prephosphored paper, solid tagging, luminescent red ink

Plate numbers used: S3333

   

Scott 3632Ae, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2003 date, die cut 10.2, slanted corners. Points of stars missing at upper left. Prephosphored paper, mottled tagging

Plate numbers used: S3333, S4444

  

Scott 3632Af, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2003 date, die cutting omitted error. Points of stars missing at upper left. Prephosphored paper, solid tagging

Plate numbers S2222, S3333

 

Scott 3633A, 37¢ self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2003 date, die cut 8.5, square corners. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by BCA.

Plate numbers used: B1111

 

Scott 3632C, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2004 date, die cut 11.2 vertically, rounded corners. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by SSP.

Plate numbers used: S1111

Scott 3632C var, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2004 date, die cut 11.2 vertically, rounded corners, mottled tagging variety. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by SSP.

Plate numbers used: S1111

Scott 3632Cd, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2004 date, die cut 11.2 vertically, rounded corners, mottled tagging, hi-brite paper. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by SSP.

Plate numbers used: S1111

 

Scott 3633B: 37¢ Flag self-adhesive from coil of 100, 2005 date, die cut 9-1/2 vertically. Printed by AP.

Plate numbers used: P1111 every 31 stamps

There was a very small initial printing of only 5 million of these stamps. It is not known whether additional printings were done.

 

Booklet stamps

Scott 3634, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive booklet, small 2002, die cut 11.1 on 2 or 3 sides. Die cuts somewhat blunt or rounded. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by AV.

Convertible booklet of 10, Scott 3634a

Plate numbers used: V1111

Scott 3634e, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive booklet, small 2002, die cut 11.3 (or 11-1/4) on 2 or 3 sides. Die cuts noticeably more pointed. Printed by AV. Discovery reported in January 2006.

Convertible booklet of 10, Scott 3634f

Plate numbers used: V1111

 

            

Scott 3635, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive booklet, small 2002, die cut 11-1/4 (or 11.3) on 2, 3 or 4 sides. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by BCA.

Booklet pane of 20, Scott 3635a

Plate numbers used: B1111, B2222, B3333, B4444, B5555, B6666, B7777

Scott 3635CF1, counterfeit of 37¢ Flag self-adhesive booklet, The poor quality of the printing or copying can best be seen in the dots in the white stripes, giving a "quilted" look. Issues with the die cuts, tagging and overlay of blue or blue-gray ink are further clues that this is not an officially printed product.

Image from an eBay lot clearly offered to collectors as a counterfeit, February 2020.

 

            

Scott 3636, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive booklet large 2002, die cut 10-1/2 x 10-3/4 (or 10.4 x 10.8) on 2 or 3 sides. Points of stars show at upper left. Printed by SSP.

Double-sided convertible booklet of 20, Scott 3636a, 3636c

Plate numbers used: small S1111, S2222, S3333, S4444, S5555, S6666 (with S11111 on back cover)

Scott 3636 var, solvent ink smear (Image courtesy of Stuart Katz)

 

   

Scott 3636D, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive booklet, 2004 date. Printed by AV.

Double-sided convertible booklet of 20, Scott 3636De

Plate numbers used: V1111, V1112, V2222

 

Scott 3636D var, 37¢ Flag self-adhesive booklet, 2004 date, horizontal die cutting errors, plate number V1111.

 

Scott 3637, 37¢ Flag ATM panel, 2002 date. Printed by AV.

ATM pane of 18, Scott 3637a

Plate numbers used: V1111

 

Related links:

37¢ Commemoratives

 

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This page last updated December 29, 2023.

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