Plate Block Question

ad4400

Need some Help!!

Still assessing what I have in my inheritance. The vast majority of the plate blocks are made up of six stamps, instead of four. However, using the one reference books I have (a Harris catelogue), it seems to say that for stamps in which the plate block number is on one of the corners of the sheet, a four stamp block is customary. It is only for rotary press plate layouts, where the plate block is located in the middle of the sheet, is it customary to have a six stamp block.

From spot checking some of the blocks of six, it is clear that they came from the corner of the sheets. Any idea why these would have been amassed as blocks of six?

And if the answers to the above is that blocks of four are fine (for blocks originating from the corners of sheets), am I doing myself any harm if I make them blocks of four so that the extra singles can be added to my collection?

1977topps

A lot of older plate blocks are indeed blocks of six. I would suggest getting a copy of the Durland Standard Plate Number Catalog. It is extremely useful to the plate block collector. I would also advise not to seperate them until you are sure the block consists of four stamps. The number of stamps needed for each block is in the Catalog. You can find the Durland Catalog Here

edueku

Actually it is the FLAT PLATE printings that are generally collected in blocks of 6 which have the number in the middle selvedge. Most rotary press printings have the number on the corner and are collected in blocks of 4.

ad4400

Thanks. It looks like their might be some typos in the Harris catelog. In their diagram of a sheet they label as Rotary they show the block of six, but then in the text in a subsequent paragrahp they say that blocks from Rotary sheets are made up of blocks of four. Likewise the diagram they show for the Flate Plane sheet, they show a block of four, but the text further down the page describes a block of six.

I was at Borders tonight and found another catologue that actaully had the number of stamps per plate block and it appeared that most everything from the mid 1940s - mid 1970s were in blocks of four. Does that sound right for that time period?

edueku

I know the Brookman Catalog has some screwy #'s(and values) for plate blocks. I think they even list flat plate blocks of 4 as having a premium(instead of 6). But I don't know anyone who collects or values them that way(accept dealers selling) Most of the stuff in the time period you mention is collected as blocks of 4 but not all. Check the Scott Catalog for authority.