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Examples of Plate Number Singles from other countries In addition to collecting plate number singles of U.S. stamps, many APNSS members are interested in plate number singles and marginal markings of stamps from other countries as well. The printing methods, plate numbering schemes and other marginal markings used by some other countries' governments and their security printers are quite similar. As always, it is important to distinguish true plate numbers from counting numbers, control numbers, serial numbers, table numbers, contract numbers, row and column numbers, and other printing and accounting references. These other types of marginal markings are often mis-identified as "plate numbers." Counting numbers can be found on issues of many countries and are typically assigned at the sheet or pane level within a packet of stamps delivered from the printer to a main post office. As a result, counting numbers may be duplicated in multiple packs. Counting numbers generally have a "rubber stamp" appearance as opposed to the finer printing quality of the actual stamps. They are most common in black, but are also known in red and violet. Note that there is an exception: counting numbers may be printed along with the full sheet, and in the same ink color, for some British Colonies issues. This type of counting number is often accorded the same collecting status as a true plate number. A Turks and Caicos example is illustrated below. Serial numbers can be found on revenue or fiscal issues of many countries. Serial numbers are typically assigned for the entire print run for a given denomination. If the serial numbers are also printed on the individual stamps they might be duplicated within that pane or sheet, but you would not expect to find another entire sheet with the same serial number. Control numbers are found on stamps of Great Britain QV-present, often in addition to true plate numbers; early Ireland; British colonies and related areas. Control numbers are printed in the same color as the stamp, in both colors for bicolor stamps, and in multiple colors for each ink color used on modern issues. They almost always appear in the left selvage. Table numbers are found on some stamps of Italy, Italian colonies and related areas. Of all "plate number"-like marginal markings, table numbers appear to be closest in function to actual plate numbers. Contract numbers are typically found in the upper right corner of interwar issues of Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Panama and Canal Zone overprints of Panama stamps that were printed by the American Bank Note Company (ABNC). They generally are prefixed with an F. For Venezuela issues they are known over the upper left stamp (position 1). For the other countries, the contract number appears in the upper right selvage typically over positions 8-9 or 9-10 in the top row. The same contract number reference may apply to several stamps, such as when the ABNC contract is for a series comsisting of multiple denominations. Row and column numbers are intended to help postal clerks easily calculate the value of strips, blocks and partial sheets. They are common on stamps of Germany and Hungary, but also appear on stamps of many other countries.
Argentina Scott 127 var, 5 centavos, imperforate at top, with counting number (not plate number)
Ascension Scott 14, 3d Ship and King George V, plate number 1
Australia SG O123, 3d Official, plate number 3
Austria Scott B110, 50 groschen semi-postal, plate number 1
Bahamas SG 90, 1 penny, plate numbers 2 (red) and 2 (black)
Barbados Scott M1, 1 penny War Tax, plate number 1
Bavaria Mi 150B, 2 marks, plate number 8. The "3103.19" is a different type of reference. (Image courtesy of German Postal History.com)
Belgium Scott 100, 1 franc, plate number 03077
Bermuda SG 64, 1 shilling Clipper and King George V, gray violet plate number 1
British Guiana (now Guyana) SG 178, 4 cents Clipper revenue overprint, plate number 2
British Honduras (now Belize), 10 cents Macaw, blue omitted error, plate number 1A 1A (missing blue 1A) 1A 1A
British Virgin Islands Scott 397, 13 cents Clipper ship, plate numbers 1, 2, 3, 4
Brazil Scott 932, 5 cruzados Rui Barbosa, plate number R17
Burma (now Myanmar) - Japanese occupation SG J90a, row number 10 (not a plate number)
Canada Scott 89, 1¢ King George V, plate number 37
Carpatho-Ukraine 1939 regional issue of Czechoslovakia, 3 koruna Churches, plate number 1A
Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) SG 397a, 5 rupees King George VI, gray green plate number 1
Republic of China , 3 cents Dhow, plate number 87
Colombia Scott 558, 10 centavos National Capitol, with counting number (not plate number)
Cuba Scott 269, plate number S 284
Cyprus SG 102, 1 pound King George V, plate number 1
Denmark Scott C2, 15 ore airmail, plate number 293
Dominica, 1-1/2 penny War Tax stamp, plate number 1
East Africa and Uganda Protectorate, 1 cent King George V, plate number 1
Ecuador Scott C118, 10 sucres airmail, printed by American Bank Note Company. The F11547 may reference the ABNC contract number (not a true plate number).
Egypt Scott 500, 1 pound, plate number A/53 corrected to A/54 in both types of letters and numerals
Falkland Islands, 1/2 penny Sheep, plate number 1
Fiji SG 256ba, 2-1/2 penny Map, green plate number 1
Finland Scott 134, 1 markka Coat of Arms, plate number 169
France Yvert Airmail #29, 1,000 francs Nôtre Dame and Paris bridges with bottom marginal markings and date. However, none of these markings is a true plate number.
Germany Scott C39, 4 reichsmarks Zeppelin, plate number 3 Many issues of Germany feature row and column numbers in the selvage. These are often mis-identified as "plate numbers."
German Democratic Republic (East Germany) Scott 279, 20 pfennigs Mozart, plate number 2
Gibraltar SG 104, 2 shillings 6 pence King George V, green plate number 1, also with black counting number 001
Great Britain 1969, 10 shillings Queen Elizabeth II, blue plate number 1B Modern stamps of Great Britain often have true plate numbers such as the illustrated 1B for single color stamps, or 1A 1A 1A 1A in cyan, yellow, magenta and black for multicolor stamps. Many Great Britain issues also feature control numbers. Control number formats vary; examples are single letters, paired letter + number separated by a space or dot, or a letter + number in the form of a fraction, multiples in different colors, either with the marking alone or with the fraction format boxed. These are often mis-identified as "plate numbers."
Great Britain - Offices in Morocco SG 19, 2 pesetas Queen Victoria, dark gray plate number 2
1913 Grenada, 10 shillings King George V, gray plate number 1
Gilbert (now part of Kiribati) & Ellice Islands (now Tuvalu) SG 14, 2 pence King George V, plate number 10
Gold Coast (now Sierra Leone) SG 77, 3 pence King George V, plate number 5
Greenland Scott 561, 7.50 krone. The "G 437" is believed to be a plate number due to the printing quality.
Grenada Scott 23, 4 pence Queen Victoria, plate number 1
1968 Guyana, 4 cents, inverted overprint variety, on piece, plate number 4
Hong Kong Scott 212, $1 Queen Elizabeth II, plate number 2B
Iceland Scott 221b, 3 aur, plate number 1
Ireland Scott 578, 44 cents Harper, plate number 1111 Early Ireland issues used the same control number scheme as Great Britain. Stamps with control numbers are often mis-identified as "plate numbers."
Israel Scott 8, plate number 1
Jamaica, 2 shillings Queen Victoria, plate number 2
Kenya-Uganda-Tanganyika (protectorate), 1 shilling Lake Naivasha, black plate number 4A
Kenya-Uganda-Tanzania (after Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged, but before the independence of each), 1sh30 Comet, plate number 1A 1A 1A 1A
Leeward Islands Scott 47, 1/2 penny King George V, plate number 5
Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Michel 282, 2 francs Clervaux, plate number 4
Malawi Scott 51, 2 pounds Butterfly, plate number 1A 1A 1A 1A
Malaya - Johore SG 54, 3 cents overprint, yellow plate number 1
Malaya - Kedah SG 85b, 35 cents, rose plate number 1
Malaya - Kelantan SG 10, $2, gray plate number 1
Malaya - Malacca, $2 Queen Elizabeth II, red plate number 1
Malaya - Pahang, 2 cents, plate number 1
Malaya - Penang, $2 Queen Elizabeth II, red plate number 1
Malaya - Perak, $1 Government offices, ultramarine plate number 1A
Malaya - Sarawak, 8 cents, yellow plate number 1
Malaya - Selengor, $5, green plate number 2
Malaya - Singapore , 35 cents King George VI, rose plate number 4
Malaya - Straits Settlements Scott J1, 4 postage due, plate number 1
Malaya - Trengganu, 5 dollar, plate number 1
Malaya (Japanese occupation), 10 cents, plate number 1
Malaysia-Sabah Scott 45, $5 Bird and Queen Elizabeth II, green plate number 1
Malta SG 73, 1 penny King George V, plate number 1
Marshall Islands Scott 177, 39¢ Surgeonfish, plate number 1111 (the "33" portion is reportedly a counting number)
Mauritius, 8 cents, plate number 1
Memel Scott C16, 6 marks airmail overprint ("Flugpost") on 2 francs regular issue of France, plate number 17. (The P 2605 appears to be a different marginal marking.)
Montserrat SG 26a, 2 pence, brown plate number 1
Natal, 1902 3 pence King George V, violet plate number 1
Netherlands, 1972 Europa issue, plate number 2
Nevis Scott 155, $5 Birth of Prince William overprint on Princess Diana stamp, plate number 1A 1A 1A 1A 1A
Newfoundland, 25¢ Sealing fleet, plate number 41791
New Zealand, 2 shilling issue from 1935, plate number 1
Nicaragua Scott 2233, 10 cordobas Tortoise, plate number 1D 1D A handful of modern Nicaragua issues printed by British security printers such as this example have plate numbers. However, in general, the vast majority of Nicaraguan stamps do not have plate numbers. Some souvenir sheets / miniature sheets and revenue/fiscal/postal tax issues and specimens have serial numbers.
Nigeria Scott 54, 1 penny King George VI, plate number 3
Norfolk Island, $5, plate number 1A 1A
North Borneo, 10¢ Queen Elizabeth II, plate number 2B
Northern Nigeria, 1 shilling King George V, green plate number 1
Nova Scotia Scott 12, 10¢ Queen Victoria pair with top imprint These stamps were printed for the then-separate dominion of Nova Scotia by the American Bank Note Company, the same security printer that was vying with National and Continental for the contract to print U.S. stamps.
Nyasaland (British Central Africa Protectorate, now Malawi), 6 pence King George V, gray plate number 1
Orange River Colony SG 140, 1 penny King George V, plate number 1
Pakistan - Bahawalpur SG O6, 1 rupee Pattan Munary Official, orange plate number 1
Palau Scott C5, 44¢, plate number 1 1 1 1 13
Palestine SG 108, 15 Mosque, plate number 2 Stamps of Panama that were printed by the American Bank Note Company typically feature an ABNC contract number. These are often mis-identified as "plate numbers."
Philippines Scott 291, 4¢ McKinley, plate number 44876 For additional plate numbers of the Philippines, see the U.S. Possessions web page for overprints of U.S. stamps, and the Commonwealth web page for later designs.
Pitcairn Islands, 1 shilling, 1949 UPU issue, plate number 1
Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), 1966 1 shilling postage due, plate number 1A
Ryukyu Islands Scott R23, 50¢ revenue with bottom imprint
St. Helena SG 97, 1/2 penny, plate number 1
St. Kitts - Nevis Scott R3, 1 penny Queen Victoria revenue on St. Christopher ("St. Kitts") regular issue, plate number 40
St. Lucia SG 99, 2-1/2 penny King George V, plate number 11
St. Vincent, 3 pence Queen Victoria, dull violet plate number 3
Samoa SG 18g, 1 shilling Breadfruit tree, plate number 1
Seychelles SG 149a, 5 rupees Fishing Pirogue, plate number 1
Sierra Leone Scott 56, 2-1/2 d. surcharge on 1 shilling Queen Victoria, plate number 1
Singapore, 35 cents Commonwealth Day, plate number 1A 1A 1A 1A 1A
South Africa, 1 shilling King George V, plate number 1
Southern Nigeria, 1/2 penny King George V, plate number 1
Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), 1947 1 penny Royal Visit, counting number 265 (not a plate number)
Spain, 1936 1 peseta provisional overprint, plate number 7
Sudan SG125, 3 millemes Giraffe, black plate number 1
Swaziland (now Lesotho), 2 pence Queen Elizabeth Coronation, black plate number 2A
Switzerland Scott B254, 5+5 centimes Confederation semi-postal, green plate number 2, red plate number B1
Tanganyika Scott N2, 1 penny King George V WWI occupation overprint on Nyasaland stamp, plate number 1
Tasmania SG 217, 2-1/2 pence Queen Victoria, plate number 1
Thailand, 50 bhat, plate number 1B
Tokelau SG 21, 1970 2¢ Christmas, plate number 1B 1B
Transvaal SG 274, 1 penny King George V, plate number 1
Trento e Trieste, Sassone 2 (?), 1919 2 centesimi di corona overprint on 2 centesimi Italy regular issue, table number 8146
Trieste Scott 69, 1949 100 lire on Italy regular issue, row/column number 000 (not a plate number)
Trieste Zone A Scott EY4 (?), 1954 20 lire overprint type 5A on Italy authorized delivery stamp, counting number (7)571 (not a plate number)
Trinidad Scott 107, 1 penny Queen Victoria, plate number 2
Tristan da Cunha SG D15, 10 pence postage due, plate number 1E
Tunisia, 1973 25 lira Boy Scouts, plate number 1A 1A 1A 1A
Turks Islands SG 61, 1 penny on 2-1/2 pence Queen Victoria, plate number 1
Turks & Caicos Islands SG 90, 1946 2 pence King George VI Coronation, control number 57 (not a plate number) For some British Colonial issues, the printing practice at the time was to print the plate number (in this case, 1) below the LR block of four, and a counting number below the LL stamp. While most counting numbers are hand-stamped after printing, this is an unusual case where the counting number is printed in the same color ink while the sheet is being produced.
Venezuela specimen, 50 bolivar revenue/fiscal stamp with ABNC contract number (not a plate number)
Vietnam Scott 1379, 50 xu Flower, with counting number (not a plate number)
Western Australia Scott 107, 6 pence Swan, plate number 1
Zanzibar, 1906 1 rupee revenue overprint, red plate number 1
Zimbabwe Scott J21, 2c postage due, plate number 1B
No plate number items have been reported for the following countries/stamp-issuing entities: Bolivia (some souvenir sheets have serial numbers) Hungary (some souvenir sheets have serial numbers) Italian Colonies Beyond Juba New Brunswick (pre-Confederation) (some issues have ABNC imprints) Paraguay (some souvenir sheets and specimens have serial numbers) Tannu Tuva Uruguay (some souvenir sheets and specimens have serial numbers; many issues are known with counting numbers) Venezuela (some specimen and airmail issues are known with counting numbers) Please report any plate number items.
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