European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 stamp Confer the stars and stripes thursday september 26, 1985 today s crossword plate Block collecting Outlook improves . Stamp editor when asking the question Why collect . Plate blocks the first thing required is a definition. Stamps Are primed in Large sheets which Are then Cut into four Post office  each pane contains a plate number or numbers if More than one color is use assigned by the Bureau of engraving and printing. This is done to maintain a control on the work at the Bep. The location of the plate number upper or lower left or right indicates the pane of the Sheet and by collecting All four Corners the collector has in effect a reconstructed albeit miniature Sheet. The serious collector of plate blocks attempts to get All positions from All plates whereas others such As myself arc Content with just a single example. As printing technology allowed the Bep to obtain multicolour presses and More Stamps were printed on them it became not  for panes to have four or More plate numbers. A a result the rotary press plate Block of four common from the 1930s to the 60s, gave Way to the plate strip of 20, a strip two Stamps wide plus the Selvedge with the plate numbers from the Edge of the pane. This was causing a pain in the Wallet for Many collectors and in 1983 the Bep responded by substituting a single digit to represent the longer plate actual plate numbers. By doing this the full Range of plate number needed to produce a Given Issue could be reduced and included on the Selvedge opposite one or two Stamps allowing the collector to return to plate blocks of four. A further Advance in printing resulted in the continuous web fed press with floating marginal inscriptions which Means that the plate Block collector is Back to collecting strips although not As often As during the mid-60s and 70s. The Catalon and album publishers still have not settled on the obvious solution of Pule blocks of six the Good news however is that these presses Are now in the process of being phased out by the Bep an additional change was just announced by the postal service in releasing the monthly Bep plate number report for april i98s. Previously a separate Register was maintained for plates used for different purposes i.e., one Register for Stamps one for paper Money Etc. The Bep will now maintain Only one consolidated Register. The last stamp to be numbered the old Way was the 22-Ccnt seashells Booklet Stamps plate number 41303 = "2"while the first stamp to be listed in the new Register is a plate for the 6-cent Walter Lippman stamp 173978 i "1". So Why collect plate blocks or strips ? basically be cause they Are representative of a lamp s origin they Are in some ways a birth certificate. That number on the Selvedge is unique or was before the Bep started using prosy numbers for that Issue and plate Only. Many collectors of . Stamps myself included there fore feel that a plate Block together with a single stamp and the fac is necessary for a Complete representation of a Given Issue. That s Why we collect them. More .  the postponed 22-Ccnt commemorative honouring Public education initially due out last april will be released oct. I. The stamp in part notes the 350th anniversary of the Boston latin school the oldest pub Lic school in the nation. First Day cancel requests for the multicoloured stamp should be sent to education stamp postmaster Boston mass., 02205-9992. As usual this is the address if you arc requesting the postal service to affix Stamps so include 22-ccnts, Check or Money order for each stamp to be used. Requests must be in the mail by oct. 31. A 22-Ccnt stamp noting the Campaign to end hunger inthe world will be released on world food Day oct. 16. The stamp design symbolizes the results of hunger regardless of race or nationality. The United nations which sponsors world food Day estimates that malnutrition affects More than a half billion people worldwide. Many government sponsored organizations such Ashe . T food and agricultural organization and the . Peace corps have initiated far reaching programs to increase food production in those this j world coun old style plate Block left and new number right. Tries having problems in feeding their own. Additionally private organizations like the hunger project end hunger network and .a. For Africa have been successful in generating millions of dollars and considerable Public support for the fight to end world hunger. Live Aid the recent global Rock concert seen by More than 1 .5 billion people around the world i expected to eventually raise More than $40 million requests for fac s should be addressed to end Hun Ger stamp postmaster Washington . 20066-0992.deadline is nov. 15. Books on Stamps Linn s stamp news is offering both the 1983 and 1984 stamp yearbooks for a special combination Price of $25. The 1984 edition is available alone for $14.95. I be seen the two books and they offer a wealth of information on att . Issues for the year including souvenir cards and Maxim cards. Each Section of the Book details a single Issue provid ing background on the stamp subject notes on the de sign first Day facts and a listing of known varieties. The 1984 coition also has a 10-Page Section on the Bureau of engraving and printing and stamp production. These arc definitely valuable reference works for the collector of . Stamps. They can be ordered from Linn a Box 29, Sidney Ohio 45365-9999. The third edition of Ken Wood s Basic philately has been published by stamp collector . Box 10, Albany Ore. 97321. Wood editor emeritus of stamp collector is also the author of the three volume this is philately j9.95and the philatelic Atlas where in the world j29.95 and a recognized authority in Thefield. The revised edition of Basic philately has been expanded to 154 rages twice the size of the previous edition with 27 chapters covering All aspects of collect ing from the history of philately to stamp production obtaining Stamps mounting them in albums and even exhibiting As Well As sections on postal markings and history and even Low budget collecting. Cost is $8.95post paid and Well Worth the Price topical issues of 1984 with 1985 Catalon num Bers american topical association handbook 1 08 a is now available for $7 postpaid. Over 7000 Stamps arc arranged alphabetically by country in 118 topical categories. Send orders to the Ata . Box 630, Johns town Penn. 15907. The yearly listings from 1962 to 1984 arc also still available the Complete series 1962-1984 costs $70. The 84-Page handbook 99, space Stamps can be obtained from the Ata for $1 1. A Rev Writa to Shn Tomi m Deh. Usma n4u-Ulm. To oto3s-0509 inc to Nhun of drum Inmom h re ital Law by Al  ness47 honest one across 41 comic 1 new York a irl Street 45 show 5 irritate8 distantly 12 inter 13 be in the red14 big cat 15 replica16 gun the motor17 scheme 18moe, Forone 20 footnote abbr.22 wrestling hold26 silly 29 Limp s call30 common article31 old French coins 32 fury33 Singer tennlde34 the works 35 pros. 36 ski resort87 Mirror type40 dance 2 thanks 3 chinese poet 4 recession events 23 actress sophia24 without German 25 la opposite enu it r /49 nomadic 5 Superman s 26 Una Canna 50 tress51 born 52 Comer 53 like Printer s hands Lair 55 Hou Glac fill Down 1 army women dad 27 civil6 reverence liberties org.28 nil player 32 Atlantic Island 33 student s Wear 3h walk 7 income8 Shock 9 period10 Mcd. Org. 11 campaigned 19 fellow21 Viet namese Holiday alone  time 28 into. 36 consumed 39 inexperienced 42 Nic Charles s wife43 Flat 44 woodwind accessory45 actor Watach 46 actor Haney 9-26 48 comb Ana. To yesterday s Puzzle maker 9-26our  plan ccvb3mse