Introduction to the PNC³ Catalog of Plate Number Coils

In October 2002 the PNC³ Board approved the production of a PNC³ Catalog of Plate Number Coils by the club.  The catalog is intended to become the reservoir of information about U.S. plate number coils.

Three PNC³ Board members, Andy Jakes (Treasurer), Gene Trinks (Past President) and Frank Covey (President), formed the PNC³ Catalog Committee.  Ron Maifeld, PNC³ Webmaster, joined the Catalog Committee in December 2003.  This committee recruits catalog contributors, makes editorial decisions, assigns PNC IDS, and creates and oversees the production/distribution of the PNC³ Catalog.  Images depicted in this catalog are from the collections of the committee members unless otherwise credited.

The first pages in the packet after the introduction are two cover sheets.  The one on heavier stock and without three-hole punching is intended to be placed on the front of a three-ring binder.  We recommend a three-inch binder that has a plastic holder on the front where you can insert this page.  The three-inch binder will leave room for the other sections that follow.  The second cover sheet is three-hole punched and is intended as the first page of your catalog.  On the back of this second cover sheet is the ISSN and other information about the catalog publication.

The catalog uses the PNC ID as an identifier for the PNC issues.  The PNC ID system is explained later in this introduction.  The "Other Identifier" field, left blank in the table, is intended to be used for any other identification scheme chosen by the user or as a location of the issue within the user's collection.

Each issue assigned a PNC ID has at least two pages devoted to it.  In some cases the reverse side is blank when there is not useful information or images to fill a second page.  A PNC listing starts with a table that shows summary information about a plate number coil.  This table is placed on the right side of the page.  On the left, room is available to show images of the stamps, back numbers and coil labels.

The narrative follows.  Here the significance of the issue is discussed plus similarities to and differences from other issues.

Following the narrative is a table of all plate numbers known for the PNC ID.  For most PNCs there is a spot for Earliest Known Use (EKU).  Most of these boxes are blank, as we lack the data.  For Service Inscribed stamps and large coil stamp rolls, there is an entry for back number color and position.  Back numbers are normally found on top or bottom, but sometimes are found in the middle, doubled or upside down.

Next, varieties are listed and discussed if there are any.  Images of these are shown where available. 

At the bottom of each page is a month/year date telling the month and year this page was published (e.g. February 2006).  This will be a standard feature of the PNC Catalog.  On the PNC ID lists that follow there is a column for "Latest Pub Date".   The latest publication date of a PNC ID page is placed in this column.

The PNC ID list is published as a set of three lists.  The first one is the Name Index.  If you know the name of an issue you can look up its PNC ID.  Each PNC is given a unique name.

The second one is in Scott Number order.  If you know the Scott Number you can look up the PNC ID or name.

The last and longest list is in PNC ID order.  Here, if you know the PNC ID, you can look up the Scott number and name.  On this list every plate number for each PNC ID, known on the press date, is shown on a line by itself.

Starting in 1993, the "Stamp Description" column has either (SA) or (WAG) as part of the description.  In 1993, the 29c Snowman became the first self-adhesive (SA) coil with a plate number.  WAG stands for water activated gum.

The "Issued" column gives the date that the PNC was first issued.  Sometimes this is unknown.

The "Section" column lets you know in what section of the catalog a PNC will be located.  Each of the New Issues eventually will find its way into one of these sections.

"Latest Pub Date" is the last column.  Currently, data can be found under this heading on the last four pages of PNC ID List and the last two pages of the Scott Cross Reference and scattered throughout the Name Index.  This informs the reader of the month/year when a page for a PNC ID was last published.  A listing of all publication dates will follow.

Throughout the PNC ID sequenced list you can find "See" references to similar issues.  For example, if you find one Circus Wagon, the "See" reference will point you to the other Circus Wagons.  This is true for all PNC IDs except the Flag over the Porch, Flag Waving and Seacoast.  These were too numerous.  There is a separate index for the 32c Flag over Porch, the 37c Flag Waving and the (5c) Seacoast.

Only a few variety ids are shown on the PNC ID List.  The Values List has many known varieties listed with their PNC ID.

Catalog Sections

The presently planned sections of the catalog are:

Transportation                                                 Introduction

US Flags                                                           Glossary

Rate Change                                                     Name Index Cross Reference

Non-denominated (includes test coils)              PNC ID/Scott Cross Reference

Officials                                                            Scott/PNC ID Cross Reference

Computer Vended Postage                               Values Lists

Miscellaneous (everything else)                         Avery Die Cut Varieties

Each of the sections will be published separately as they are completed.  Other sections discussing sub-specialties such as coil labels, gaps, back numbers etc. will be published over time.

PNC ID

The PNC ID, which is the property of the Plate Number Coil Collectors Club (PNC³), is used to keep track of the plate numbered coils.  Having our own number allows us to make judgments on how numbers are assigned.  Other numbering systems classify PNCs.  (For example, if you see an "O" in front of a Scott Number, you know it is an Official stamp).  The PNC ID intentionally does not follow other catalog numbering conventions.  There are just too many ways coils could be organized to make this feasible.  Coils could be organized by denomination, by use, by service inscription, by adhesive properties, by back number, by subject and by ways not yet conceived.  The sequence for each section of the catalog will be determined for that section based on what makes the most sense.

For example, the first coil issued in 2002 was the 5-cent American Toleware.  It has an assigned PNC ID of 2002-1.

A PNC ID is assigned for each face-different stamp under normal light.  The number assigned is based on the year of issue and the approximate sequence within the year.  In some cases the exact date is not known.  In other cases the stamp was not available on the promised date.  Test coils are assigned a number based on the year they were first discovered.

When a coil has more than one variety, a sub-id is appended to the PNC ID by adding a decimal point and another unique number.  The first digit following the decimal has the following meaning:

                                    .1xxxx  tagging difference

                                    .2xxxx perf/die cut difference

                                    .3xxxx color/font difference

                                    .4xxxx constant plate variety

                                    .5xxxx paper type difference

                                    .6xxxx (available for future use)

                                    .7xxxx  back number/control number

                                    .8xxxx  gum type

                                    .9xxxx (available for future use)

In the above sub-id list, the lower numbers indicate features visible from the front of the stamp.  The higher numbers indicate features visible from the back.

For example, the sixth issue of 2002 was the 23-cent George Washington from Avery Dennison.  It is known with two different die cuts i.e., peak/valley (PV) or valley/peak (VP).  The PV variety carries a PNC ID of 2002-6.21.  The VP variety has a PNC ID of 2002-6.22.  The first "2" after the decimal delineates it as a perf or die cut variety.  The second number after the decimal delineates which of the known varieties is indicated.  In this case, the PV is assigned numeral '1' and VP is assigned numeral '2'.

The Future

The catalog will be published in sections of smaller units.  This evens the workload and spreads the cost for members over a longer time frame.  Once a section is published it will not be updated for at least another year. 

PNC values are printed as a separate offering so the PNC pricing can be updated and offered on a different schedule than catalog updates.

Feedback

The Catalog Committee and the PNC³ Board would like your reaction to this publication.  There are bound to be errors.  Tell us what they are.  Tell us about other things you would like to see or things you would omit.  Write us by

                        Mail     Attn: Frank Covey                    Email                catalog@pnc3.org

                                    PNC³ Catalog Committee

                                    16 Grandview Dr

                                    Macomb IL 61455-9705

Copyright

The PNC ID and PNC³ Catalog of Plate Number Coils are copyrighted by the PNC³ (Plate Number Coil Collectors Club).  Scott Numbers are copyrighted by Amos Press Inc, dba Scott Publishing Co.  Dealers may use the PNC ID on price lists if they so choose.

The Scott Numbers are the copyrighted property of Amos Press Inc., dba Scott Publishing Co. and are used in the catalog under a licensing agreement with Scott. The marks Scott and Scott's are Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and are trademarks of Amos Press, Inc. dba Scott Publishing Co. No use may be made of these marks or of material in this publication which is reprinted from a copyrighted publication of Amos Press, Inc., without the express written permission of Amos Press, Inc., dba Scott Publishing Co., Sidney, Ohio 45365.