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The American Plate Number Single Society |
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2023
Preliminary stamp program for 2023. Details from all USPS announcements are tentative and subject to change. 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 at the 2022 rate of 60¢ for early 2023. Extra ounces 24¢, with value of "forever" 2-ounce and 3-ounce stamps 84¢ and $1.08. The global airmail rate, which is not subject to the same regulations as domestic postal rates, remained unchanged at $1.40. Postcard rate 44¢. Non-machinable rate (typically paid with a butterfly stamp) 99¢. Semi-postal stamps are now 75¢, serving 60¢ with a 15¢ charitable donation. These rates were raised on January 22, 2023. First class +3¢ to 63¢. Extra ounces remain the same at 24¢, with value of "forever" 2-ounce and 3-ounce stamps going to 87¢ for 2 ounces and $1.11 for 3 ounces. Postcard rate +4¢ to 48¢. Global airmal rate, +5¢ to $1.45. Non-machinable rate still to be determined. Semi-postal stamps are presumed to be 80¢, serving 63¢ with a 17¢ charitable donation. These rates are proposed to be raised again on July 9, 2023. First class +3¢ more to 66¢. Extra ounces remain the same at 24¢, with value of "forever" 2-ounce and 3-ounce stamps going to 90¢ for 2 ounces and $1.14 for 3 ounces. Postcard rate +3¢ to 51¢. Global airmal rate, +5¢ more to $1.50. Non-machinable rate still to be determined. Semi-postal stamps are presumed to be 85¢, serving 66¢ with a 19¢ charitable donation. Coil stamps have plate numbers at the bottom center of single stamps and appear in the coil 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, Pane Position Diagrams (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 2023, it appears vertically in the upper right corner, reading down.
Regular issues and commemoratives
Reprint of 2¢ Meyer Lemon coil (Scott 5256): B22222 Reprint of 3¢ Strawberries coil (Scott 5201): P2222 Reprint of 5¢ Grapes coil (Scott 5038): P222222 No reason was given for assigning a new plate number for the 2¢, 3¢ and 5¢ coils, but the reason given for the reprint of the 1¢ Apples coil was a change in the paper. Reprint of 10¢ Pears coil (Scott 5039): B222222 The original printing by Sennett was assigned plate number S111111. The reprint was done by successor printer BCA. For additional details, see the Fruits page. Reprint of the (10¢) Flag on Barns presort coil (Scott 5686, from strip of 4 Scott 5687a): P22222 See example on the New Issues - 2022 page. Reprint of the 2 ounce Sunflower Bouquet stamp from 2022 (Scott 5682) was reported in the July 2023 U.S. Specialist with plate number B222222. First issued at 78¢ when the first class rate was 58¢ and the additional ounce rate was 20¢, after July 9, 2023, as of July 2023 it is serving its fourth 2 ounce rate, now 66¢ + 24¢ or 90¢.
(24¢) School Bus, additional ounce rate, pane of 20 (Scott 5740): B111111
(24¢) School Bus coil of 100 (Scott 5741): B111111 every 31 stamps
40¢ Red Fox, bulk mail rate (Scott 5742): B11111 See the Wildlife page for additional details
40¢ Red Fox coils of 3000 and 10,000 (Scott 5743): B11111 every 27 stamps See the Wildlife page for additional details
(F) Year of the Rabbit (Scott 5744, imperf 5744a): B111111 in LL and LR
Kitten (Scott 5745) and Puppy (Scott 5746)
Imperf Kitten (Scott 5745a) and imperf Puppy (Scott 5746a)
Sailboat with green sail (Scott 5747) and Sailboat with yellow sail (Scott 5748)
One Sailboat with yellow sail (Scott 5749)
$9.65 Florida Everglades priority mail (Scott 5751): B1111 in UL and LR See the Modern High Values page for additional details
$28.75 Great Smoky Mountains express mail (Scott 5752): B1111 in UL and LR This is the highest denomination U.S. postage stamp issued to date. See the Modern High Values page for additional details Effective January 23, the (F) Forever rate was raised from 60¢ to 63¢.
(F) Ernest J. Gaines (Scott 5753 and imperf Scott 5753a): B1111 at LL and LR
(F) Women's soccer (Scott 5754), and imperf (Scott 5754a): B1111
$10 Floral Geometry (Scott 5755): B1111 in UL and LR See the Modern High Values page for additional details
(5¢) Patriotic block, non-profit bulk rate, coils of 3k/10k (Scott 5756): B111 every 25 stamps
(F) Toni Morrison (Scott 5757); and imperf (Scott 5757a): B1111
Union Terminal (Scott 5762) and Point of Rocks Station (Scott 5758)
Imperf Union Terminal (Scott 5762a) and imperf Point of Rocks Station (Scott 5758a)
from (F) Skateboard Art, four designs (strip of 4 Scott 5766b): B111111111
Imperf Blue Tlingit Skateboard (Scott 5763a) and imperf Jaguar Skateboard (Scott 5766a)
Orange and red tulip (Scott 5771)
Pink tulip with white base (Scott 5779) and Orange and red tulip (Scott 5780)
(F) Freedom U.S. Flag pane of 20, Scott 5787: B111
(F) Freedom Flag coils of 100, Ashton-Potter, die cut 9-1/2, block tagged (Scott 5788): P111 every 31 stamps
(F) Freedom Flag coils of 100, BCA, die cut 10-3/4, overall tagged, space between stamps / with top or bottom selvage (Scott 5789): B111 every 31 stamps
(F) Freedom Flag coils of 3000 and 10,000, die cut 11, stamps adjacent / no top or bottom selvage (Scott 5789A): B111 every 27 stamps
Imperforate error (Scott 5789Ab), plate number B111
(F) Freedom Flag (Scott 5790), block tagged, from booklet of 20 (Scott 5790b): P111
(F) Freedom Flag (Scott 5791), block tagged, from booklet of 20 (Scott 5791b): B111
Scott 5793 and 5792 from (F) Roy Lichtenstein(Scott 5796b): B111111 in LL and LR
Imperf Scott 5793a and 5792a from (F) Roy Lichtenstein (Scott 5796c): B111111 in LL and LR
(F) Tomie dePaola (preliminary Scott 5797; imperf 5797a): P111111 in LL and LR
(F) Chief Standing Bear (Scott 5798) and imperf (Scott 5798a): P11111 in LL and LR
Crayfish (Scott 5799q) and Sandhill crane (Scott 5799t)
Imperf Crayfish (Scott 5799al) and imperf Sandhill crate (Scott 5799ao)
Grotto Falls TN (Scott 5800i) and Upper Falls NC (Scott 5800l) from
Imperf Grotto Falls (Scott 5800v) and imperf Upper Falls (Scott 5800y) from Effective July 9, the (F) Forever rate was raised from 63¢ to 66¢.
(F) Life Magnified, 20 designs: B1111 in LL and LR (F) Thinking of You, five designs: B111111111 (F) Piñatas booklet, four designs: P1111 (F) Osiris REx: P11111 in LL and LR (F) Holiday - Snow Globes, four designs, booklet of 20: P1111 (F) Winter Woodland Animals, four designs, booklet of 20 (F) Ruth Bader Ginsburg, pane of 20 (F) John Lewis: P11111 in LL and LR (25¢) Bridges, bulk rate, four designs, coils of 3000 and 10,000: P1111 every 27
Pending, expected, unannounced or unofficial
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.
Hunting Permit stamps
$25 Tundra Swans self-adhesive hunting permit stamp 2023-2024, from pane of 20 (Scott RW90) $25 Hunting Permit self-adhesive pane of 1 (Scott RW90A): no plate numbers
Rumored, possible or postponed
(F) Baskets (F) York (Lewis and Clark Expedition) (F) Madonna and Child by Bachiacca (F) Against All Odds (Memorial Day) (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) Solar Awareness; unclear whether the 2021 Sun Science issue fulfilled this (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, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 or 2022, so it is apparently now postponed again. There are apparently issues with obtaining the rights from the heirs or estates. (F) The Beatles (announced but postponed, although an individual John Lennon stamp was issued in late 2018) (F) Piñatas (multiple designs) rumored for years, finally issued in September 2023 (F) Dora the Explorer (multiple designs) (F) Stop Bullying (announced but postponed) (F) Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters (multiple designs) (F) Skin Health (F) Elizabeth Taylor (announced but postponed; copyright / licensing issues are apparently holding this up) (F) Graphic Design (pane of 12 designs) (F) Aretha Franklin (announced shortly after her death, but has apparently been stalled over copyright / licensing issues)
Official stamps Official stamps were "officially" discontinued in 2013. 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 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.
Related links
Opinions expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the APNSS, its officers or members.
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