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The American Plate Number Single Society |
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2020
U.S. stamp program for 2020. 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 55¢ for 2020. The charge for extra ounces remained at 15¢. The value of "forever" 2-ounce and 3-ounce stamps remained at 70¢ and 85¢, respectively. The global airmail rate, which is not subject to the same regulations as domestic postal rates, remained unchanged at $1.15. Priority mail remained at $7.90 for the small Flat Rate box; $14.35 for the medium Flat Rate box; and $19.95 for the large Flat Rate box. The special rate for APO/FPO large Flat Rate box remained at $18.45 (retaining the same $1.50 discount from the non-APO/FPO rate. Other priority mail rates: $7.75 for the regular Flat Rate envelope; from $7.65 for the large Flat Rate envelope; and $8.00 for the padded Flat Rate envelope. Priority Mail Express rates: $26.35 for a Flat Rate envelope; $25.70 for legal sized Flat Rate envelope; and $26.20 for padded Flat Rate envelope. 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 2020, it appears vertically in the lower right corner.
Here is the 2020 stamp program. Regular issues and commemoratives
A reprint of the BCA Flag coil from 2019 (Scott 5343) was reported in January 2020, with plate number B2222. Scott does not assign a different catalogue number if there are no apparent production differences (tagging, die cutting, design, small date).
(F) Year of the Rat (Scott 5428): B111111 in LL and LR only
$7.75 Big Bend National Park priority mail (Scott 5429): P1111 in UL and LR only
$26.35 Grand Island Ice Caves express mail (Scott 5430): P1111 in UL and LR only
(F) Made of Hearts (Scott 5431): P1111
(F) Gwen Ifill, Black Heritage (Scott 5432): B111111 in LL and LR only
(10¢) Presorted Star, coils of 3000 and 10,000 (Scott 5433): B1111 every 27 stamps
(F) Let's Celebrate (Scott 5434): B11111
White feathery orchid Platanthera leucophaea (Scott 5443)
Yellow orchid / purple Hexalectis specata (Scott 5447) and
(F) Arnold Palmer (Scott 5455): P1111 in LL and LR only
(F) Maine statehood (Scott 5456): P1111
(F) Contemporary Boutonniere (Scott 5457): P11111
(70¢) Corsage, two ounce rate (Scott 5458): P11111
(F) Earth Day booklet of 20 (Scott 5459): B1111
($1.20) Global Chrysanthemum airmail, good for 1 ounce globally (Scott 5460): P111111
The Huntingdon (Scott 5469) and Norfolk Botanical Garden (Scott 5470)
Alain Locke (Scott 5474)
Sand Castle (Scott 5479) and Cross-country Skiing (Scott 5475)
Hop Hop DJ (Scott 5483) from
Carrots (Scott 5486) and Lemons (Scott 5487)
Mermaid Bugs (Scott 5499) and Soldier Bugs (Scott 5403)
Scott 5509 (LL) and 5513 (LR)
Computing (Scott 5514), Robotics (Scott 5517), Solar Technology (Scott 5518)
Scott 5519 (red), 5522 (violet), 5521 (blue-green), 5520 (gold)
(F) Women Vote / 19th Amendment (Scott 5523): B11111
(F) Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor (Scott 5524): P11111 in LL and LR only
(F) Our Lady of Guápulo, booklet of 20 (Scott 5525): B11111 at L and R
Ornament (Scott 5526) and Tree (Scott 5527)
(F) Hanukkah 2020 (Scott 5530): P11111 in LL and LR only
(F) Kwanzaa 2020 (Scott 5531): B1111
Trees with Gold Sky (Scott 5534) and Red Barn with Wreath (Scott 5535)
(F) Drug Free USA (Scott 5542): P11111
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 self-adhesive hunting permit stamp 2020-2021 (Scott RW87): P1111 $25 Hunting Permit self-adhesive pane of 1 (Scott RW87A): no plate numbers
Rumored, possible or postponed
Another new semi-postal stamp, subject not announced. USPS originally planned to retire each semipostal after two years. The Alzheimer's semi-postal stamp was withdrawn from sale in November 2019 and was replaced by the PTSD semi-postal. Due to Congressional pressure, stocks of the Alzheimer's stamp were kept in local post offices; they were merely removed from sale. Sales resumed in October 2020. (F) Baskets (F) York (Lewis and Clark Expedition) (F) Madonna and Child by Bachiacca (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, 2017, 2018 or 2019, so it is apparently now postponed again. There are apparently issues with obtaining the rights from the heirs or estates. (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, 2017, 2018 or 2019, and the idea seems to have been shelved. Still, the stamps were printed with a Forever rate, and have not been destroyed, so it may just be a matter of time before some make it into the hands of collectors. Postponed from the announced or rumored 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 programs (F) 70¢ two-ounce rate stamp from 2019 that was announced but not issued (F) The Beatles (although an individual John Lennon stamp was issued in late 2018) (F) Against the Odds: Memorial Day (F) Piñatas (multiple designs) (F) Dora the Explorer (multiple designs) (F) Stop Bullying (F) Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters (multiple designs) (F) Skin Health (F) Cars (multiple designs) (F) Elizabeth Taylor (copyright / licensing issues with the Taylor estate are apparently holding this up) (F) Graphic Design (pane of 12 designs)
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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