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Scott C13, plate number 20079
 

2018

U.S. stamp program for 2018. All sheet or pane issues have plate numbers in four corners (UL, UR, LL, LR) unless otherwise specified.

Denominations in parentheses are Forever stamps, if first class rate, or nominal rate, if service-inscribed. The first class rate remained 49¢ briefly for early 2018, then rose to 50¢ starting on January 21, 2018. The postcard rate also went up a penny, from 34¢ to 35¢. The additional ouce rate is unchanged at 21¢. The value of "forever" 2-ounce and 3-ounce stamps is 71¢ and 92¢, respectively. The global airmail rate, which is not subject to the same regulations as domestic postal rates, remains unchanged at $1.15.

Coil stamps have plate numbers at the bottom center of single stamps and appear at the interval specified.

Plate numbers and copyright markings for self-adhesive booklet stamps or ATM panes appear on a peelable strip within the pane. Copyright, PPD, ZIP code, math aids and other markings have appeared on the back of most regular issues for several years.

As it does every year, USPS has moved the tiny date. For 2018, it appears horizontally in the upper right corner.

Regular issues and Commemoratives

(F) Year of the Dog (Scott 5254): no plate numbers

(F) Love Flourishes (Scott 5255): B11111

Counterfeit of the Love Flourishes stamp with plate number B11111

2¢ Meyer Lemon, coils of 10,000 (Scott 5256): B11111 every 28 stamps. Details on the Fruits page.

A coil of 3,000 was issued in 2019, identical in all respects except with 4-digit back numbers.

The 2023 reprint has plate number B22222.

$6.70 Byodo-In Temple priority mail (Scott 5257): P1111 in UL and LR

$24.70 Sleeping Bear Dunes express mail (Scott 5258): P1111 in UL and LR

(F) Lena Horne (Scott 5259): B11111 in LL & LR corners

(F) U.S. Flag, coil of 100, Ashton-Potter (Scott 5260): P111 every 31 stamps

(F) U.S. Flag, coil of 100, BCA (Scott 5261): B111 every 31 stamps

(F) U.S. Flag, booklet of 20, Ashton-Potter (Scott 5262, from booklet 5262a): P111

Counterfeit of the Ashton-Potter booklet with plate number P111

(F) U.S. Flag, booklet of 20, BCA (Scott 5263, from booklet 5263a): B111

Counterfeit of the BCA booklet with plate number B111

(F) Bioluminescent Life, 10 designs (Scott 5264-5273): no plate numbers

(F) Illinois Statehood (Scott 5274): B1111111

(F) Mister Rogers (Scott 5275): P111111 in LL and LR

(F) STEM Education (Scott 5276-5279; vertical strip of 4 Scott 5279a): P1111 in LL and LR (with Scott 5279)

(F) Peace Rose booklet of 20 (Scott 5280): P1111

Counterfeit of the Peace Rose booklet stamp

    

(F) 100th Anniversary of Airl Mail (blue stamp, Scott 5281; red stamp Scott 5282): P1 in LL and LR

(F) Sally Ride (Scott 5283): P11111 in LL and LR

(F) Flag Act of 1818 (Scott 5284): P1111 in LL and LR

    

Scott 5287 and 5288 from (F) Frozen Treats, 10 designs (Scott 5285-5294): P1111

$1 Statue of Freedom, pane of 10 (Scott 5295): B111 in UL and UR

$2 Statue of Freedom, pane of 10 (Scott 5296): B111 in UL and UR

Scott 5296 var, image shifted to bottom (or die cuts shifted up), captured plate number B111 (Image courtesy of eBay / mattstef)

$5 Statue of Freedom, pane of 4 (Scott 5297): B111 in UL and UR

    

Scott 5298q and 5298t from (F) O Beautiful pane of 20 (Scott 5298): P11111 in LL and LR

(F) Scooby Doo (Scott 5299): P11111 in LL and LR

(F) World War I: Turning the Tide (Scott 5300): P1111111 in LL and LR

    

Dove (Scott 5305) and Bird Cage (Scott 5304), plate number B111111111
from (F) Art of Magic, 5 designs (Scott 5300-5305; strip of 5 Scott 5305a)

(F) Art of Magic: Rabbit in Hat, souvenir sheet of 3 (Scott 5306): no plate numbers

An error pane is known with die cutting omitted.

    

Blue dragon (Scott 5309) and Green dragon (Scott 5307), plate number B1111
from (F) Dragons, 4 designs (Scott 5307-5310; block of 4 Scott 5310a)

    

Green dragon (Scott 5307 var) and Blue dragon (Scott 5309 var) with inverted die cuts (Image courtesy of Bill Langs)

An error pane is known with both misregistered die cuts as well as die cutting omitted.

($1.15) Global airmail, Poinsettia (Scott 5311): B11111

(F) John Lennon (Scott 5312 - 5315): no plate numbers

An error pane is known with die cutting omitted.

(F) First Responders (Scot 5316): P1111

    

Scott 5317 and 5318 from (F) Birds in Winter (booklet of 20 Scott 5320b): B11111

    

Twin Mill (Scott 5326) and Sharkcruiser (Scott 5330), plate number B11111
from (F) Hot Wheels (block of 10 designs Scott 5330a)

(F) Madonna and Child by Bachiacca (Scott 5331): B11111

    

Scott 5332 and 5333 from (F) Coca-Cola Santas (Scott 5335a): P11111

(F) Coca-Cola Santa souvenir sheet of 1 (Scott 5336): no plate numbers

(F) Kwanzaa (Scott 5337): B1111

(F) Hanukkah (Scott 5338): B11111 in LL and LR

 

Airmail issues

Although the global airmail stamps of the last few years are intended to meet an airmail rate, they are valid for all types of mailings and there is no indication in the stamps' designs that they are primarily for airmail purposes. Therefore Scott assigns a regular catalog number rather than one with the traditional C prefix. We display images of these stamps at the end of the Modern Airmails web page, but with the non-airmal catalogue number that is assigned to them.

Semipostal stamps

(49¢ + 11¢), later (50¢ + 10¢) Alzheimers (Scott B6): B111111

 

Hunting Permit stamps

$25 Mallards, self-adhesive hunting permit stamp 2018-2019, from pane of 20 (Scott RW85): P1111

$25 Mallards, self-adhesive 2018-19 duck stamp, from 85th Anniversary of Duck Stamps self-adhesive souvenir sheet of 4 (Scott RW85 var): P1111 at LR only

The LR position of the regular self-adhesive stamp has a white border, while the LR position of the souvenir sheet has a gray border.

There is no water-activated hunting permit stamp this year. Instead, the self-adhesive version has been issued in the traditional pane of 20.

$25 Hunting Permit self-adhesive pane of 1 (Scott RW85A): no plate numbers

 

 

Rumored, possible or postponed: 

Another new semi-postal stamp, subject not announced

(F) Baskets

(F) York (Lewis and Clark Expedition)

(F) James Brown, if they can ovecome copyright issues and other disagreements with Brown's estate and heirs

(F) Five Fishes

(F) Johnny Carson

(F) Steve Jobs

(F) Latino Baseball

(F) Peanuts comic strip

(F) Solar awareness

(F) Distinguished Airmen

(F) Science Fiction Writers (five designs), which was postponed from the previously announced 2013 program, was originally planned for July 2014, but did not happen then or in 2015, 2016 or 2017, so it is apparently now postponed again.

(F) Just Move! issue announced for 2013 but initially delayed to 2014, 2015 or later. Some redesign may be required as three of the originally planned stamps depicted activities considered unsafe by some organizations. In late 2014 it was announced that these stamps had not been destroyed but were still in storage, and that a new issue was likely in 2015 with different designs. That didn't happen, nor did it happen in 2016 or 2017, and it seems doubtful that it would be issued under the current administration.

Postponed from the announced or rumored 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 programs:

A number of (F) stamps planned, announced or postponed from previous years did not happen in 2019. These include:
- The Beatles (individual John Lennon stamp issued in late 2018)
- Against the Odds: Memorial Day
- Piñatas (Christmas-themed, multiple designs)
- Dora the Explorer (multiple designs)
- Stop Bullying
- Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters (multiple designs)
- Sesame Street characters (multiple designs)
- Skin Health
- Cars (multiple designs)
- Elizabeth Taylor (copyright / licensing issues are apparently holding this up)
- Graphic Design (pane of 12 designs)
- Science Fiction Writers (five designs), originally announced for 2013 (clearance issues with their estates)
- Just Move!
(multiple designs), printed in 2013 but not issued or distributed. They remain in storage.

As of 2013, Official stamps have been "officially" discontinued. Government agencies with stamps used up existing stock, then converted to forever stamps, meters and other postage payment methods.

The plate number information appearing on this page has been contributed by APNSS members Jim Ragsdale, Jim Cochrane and Rick Burdsall.

A complete listing and valuation of plate numbers, positions and other marginal markings will appear in the next edition of the Hebert's Catalog of Plate Number Singles.

 

Comments? Suggestions? New plate number to report? Email the Webmaster:

 

This page last updated September 29, 2023.

Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the APNSS, its officers or members.