FORMATS FOR 2017 ISSUES IN WHITE ACE COMMEMORATIVE
SUPPLEMENTS
This compilation is being published to assist in collecting currently available issues in advance of publication of the 2017 White Ace album supplements.
The Commemorative Singles SIMPLIFIED pages are
intended to simplify the collector's stamp purchasing
requirements, and are thus an ideal choice for a beginning
collector. Released for the first time by White Ace for the 1996
issues, they have been continued for each subsequent year's issues
and will continue to be published, in the same format, for the
2017 issues. These pages will generally seek to show each face
different stamp only once. For stamps issued in se-tenant format -
i.e. more than one stamp design in a pane - the smallest intact
unit will be shown that contains all designs. This will usually be
a strip, block or full booklet pane. All face different versions
of each commemorative issue will be included and will thus enable
the collector to assemble a complete commemorative collection.
The Commemorative Singles (complete) pages
will continue to be published in their original format for
collectors wishing to assemble a more detailed and comprehensive
collection. For se-tenant issues, these pages will show a set of
singles and a strip or block as in the past. Other stamp
formats will continue to be shown in a manner consistent with
prior printings of this album.
COMMEMORATIVE ALBUMS
LUNAR NEW YEAR - YEAR OF THE ROOSTER (01/05/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 full sheet of 12 (there
are no plate numbers)
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 full sheet
of 12 (there are no plate numbers)
LOVE - SKYWRITING (01/05/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
DOROTHY HEIGHT - BLACK HERITAGE SERIES (02/01/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
OSCAR DE LA RENTA (02/16/17)
-Singles – 11 singles & 1 full sheet
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 full sheet
-Blocks – 1 full sheet
-Plate Blocks – 1 full sheet
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 full sheet
JOHN F. KENNEDY (02/20/17)
-Singles – 1 single & 1 full sheet
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4 & 1 full
sheet
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4 &
1 full sheet
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
NEBRASKA STATEHOOD (03/01/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
WPA POSTERS CONVERTIBLE BOOKLET OF 20 (03/07/17)
-Singles – 10 singles & full booklet
pane of 20
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 full booklet pane
of 20
-Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 full pane of
20
-Booklet Panes – 1 full booklet pane of
20
MISSISSIPPI STATEHOOD (03/31/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
DELICIOSO CONVERTIBLE BOOKLET OF 20 (04/20/17)
-Singles – 6 singles & full booklet
pane of 20
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 full booklet pane
of 20
-Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 full pane of
20
-Booklet Panes – 1 full booklet pane of
20
BOUTONNIERE (05/02/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
HENRY DAVID THOREAU (05/23/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
SPORTS BALLS (05/14/17)
-Singles – 8 singles & (horizontal)
block of 8
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – (horizontal)
block of 8
-Blocks – 1(horizontal) block of 8
-Plate Blocks – 1 (horizontal) plate block of 8
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 (horizontal) plate block of 8
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE (06/20/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
ANDREW WYETH (07/12/17)
-Singles – 12 singles, & full sheet
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 full sheet of 12
-Blocks – 1 full sheet of 12
-Plate Blocks – 1 full sheet of 12
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 full sheet
of 12
DISNEY VILLAINS (07/15/17)
-Singles – 10 singles, & block of 10
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 block of 10
-Blocks – 1 block of 10
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 10
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 10
SHARKS (07/26/17)
-Singles – 5 singles, & 1
vertical strip of 5
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 vertical
strip of 5
-Blocks – 1 block of 6 (2 wide x 3
high)
-Plate Blocks – 2 plate blocks of 6 (2
wide x 3 high)
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 6 (2 wide x 3 high)
PROTECT POLLINATORS (08/03/17)
-Singles – 5 singles, & 1
vertical strip of 5
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 vertical
strip of 5
-Blocks – 1 block of 6 (2 wide x 3
high)
-Plate Blocks – 2 plate blocks of 6 (2
wide x 3 high)
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 6 (2 wide x 3 high)
FATHER TED HESBURGH SHEET STAMP (09/01/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
FATHER TED HESBURGH COIL STAMP (09/01/17)
-Singles – 1 pair
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 pair
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate number
strip of 3
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate
number strip of 3
THE SNOWY DAY CONVERTIBLE BOOKLET OF 20 (10/04/17)
-Singles – 4 singles and 1 full pane of
20
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 full pane of 20
-Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 full pane of
20
-Booklet Panes – 1 full booklet pane of
20
CHRISTMAS CAROLS CONVERTIBLE BOOKLET OF 20
(10/05/17)
-Singles – 4 singles and 1 full pane of
20
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 full pane of 20
-Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks – 1 full pane of 20
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 full pane of
20
-Booklet Panes – 1 full booklet pane of
20
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY &
CULTURE (10/13/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
HISTORY OF HOCKEY (10/20/17)
-Singles – 2 singles, & 1 pair
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 pair
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
HISTORY OF HOCKEY SOUVENIR SHEET (10/20/17)
-Singles – 1 souvenir sheet
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 souvenir sheet
-Blocks – 1 souvenir sheet
-Plate Blocks – 1 souvenir sheet
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 souvenir
sheet
ALZHEIMER'S (11/30/17)
-Singles – 1 single
-Singles SIMPLIFIED – 1 single
-Blocks – 1 block of 4
-Plate Blocks – 1 plate block of 4
-Plate Blocks SIMPLIFIED – 1 plate block
of 4
Many of the 2017 commemorative issues listed are unexceptional
and follow formats long established for each of the albums listed.
For those which are not common or do not fit established patterns,
we offer the following explanations.
As most users of White Ace Commemorative pages are aware, we
showed a full pane of the Legends of Hollywood series issue―with a large illustrated area of selvage on
one side of the sheet―in all of our
Commemorative albums except for the Singles Simplified, Plate
Blocks Simplified, and Copyright Singles or Blocks.
Including a full sheet when it has this layout began with the
Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe issues in the early 1990s,
and has continued for issues having similar format ever
since. For example, refer to Frida Kahlo (2001), Daffy Duck
(1999), Andy Warhol (2002), etc. In our 2017 pages, we will
follow this pattern by including a full sheet of the John
Fitzgerald Kennedy issue in all but the Singles Simplified and
Plate Blocks Simplified pages.
The Father Ted Hesburgh coil stamp is the only 2017 issue for
which there seems to be no precedent. While we have previously had
commemorative coils, they have always been se-tenant designs: i.e.
Christmas 2002, and Flags of our Nation (2007-2011). As we
have had single design definitive coils for many years, it seems
most reasonable use that as a guide and to show a coil pair in our
Singles Complete and Blocks pages; and a coil single in our
Singles Simplified pages. By the same rationale, a plate
strip of 3 is shown in our plate blocks pages.
In the White Ace Plate Block Albums, a plate block is considered
the smallest block (of 4 or more stamps) that can be taken from
the margin of the sheet, that contains all stamp designs, and has
attached selvage bearing a plate number. If more than one such
block can be removed from a sheet and the plate number is adjacent
to a different stamp design in any of these, then each such
example is shown in our Plate Blocks Complete pages. In our Plate
Blocks Simplified pages, any such plate position can be collected.
In most cases, there will be two rows or columns of stamps
opposite the plate number. (This definition may vary somewhat
where there is a particularly attractive header or illustrated
selvage or where there is more than one plate number along the
same margin of the sheet).
Thus, for the Sharks and Protect Pollinators issues we will
show 2 plate blocks of 6. By our definition above, a plate block
from either of these sheets is 6 stamps: 2 wide by 3 high.
Because there are two plate numbers on the sheet adjacent to
different stamps, left and right 2 plate blocks of 6 are
required. Prior issues with this configuration are Muscle Cars
(2013), Lighthouses (2013), Latin Music Legends (2011), Gulf
Coast Lighthouses (2009), and Pacific Lighthouses (2007) and
others cited in the 2009 and 2007 commemorative format guides.
Our format for souvenir sheets has been
to show the individual stamps and a full sheet in our
Commemorative Singles pages, and an unbroken souvenir sheet in
all of our other pages. For 2017, this is the case only
for History of Hockey.
Sometimes, issues released in pane of
stamps or booklet format have either no plate number, or have
plate numbers on the back of the pane. Our practice has been,
and continues to be, to include examples of such issues in our
plate block pages as souvenir sheets. The only issue of this
sort for 2017 is Lunar New Year.
In recent years it has become increasingly
difficult to distinguish between commemoratives and definitives.
Sometimes the USPS makes the designation in the Postal Bulletin
and sometimes not. The Wikipedia entries for Definitive
Stamp and Commemorative Stamp are instructive.
Commemoratives are issued to celebrate some event, person or
cultural feature and are usually not reprinted when sold
out. Definitives are intended to satisfy a particular postal
rate or be used in conjunction with other stamps to pay postage
for a period of time and are reprinted when inventory is
depleted. In addition to these categories, the USPS issues
"special" stamps such as love and greeting stamps, which we
include in our commemorative pages. The difficulty with
these definitions is that definitives can often be regarded as
"commemorating" the image they bear, commemoratives are not
restricted to the first class one ounce rate and at the time of
the first printing even the USPS may not know if it will reprint
an issue when it is depleted.
In 2017 (as in 2016), it appears that the
USPS has designated as Commemoratives only non-denominated
first-class single ounce rate stamps that celebrate a person
or event. Any issue paying a rate other than first class
single ounce or which bears a generic image such as fruit,
or animals is likely to be specifically designated a
definitive or euphemistically as "mail use." To avoid
confusion, we have accepted the USPS designations in
deciding in which album to show each issue. If you have 2017
stamps that do not appear in the list above, please check
the White Ace Regular Issue Format Guide as they are likely
to be listed there.
What the USPS began in 2010 and has continued
since, is that copyright markings are either absent or on the back
of the sheet for every issue. Because there are no copyright
markings on the face of any pane, there will be no Copyright
Singles or Copyright Blocks album pages for 2016.
For other issues for which our format may be puzzling, we direct
the interested collector examine our format guides posted on-line
for prior issues of similar configuration which may be a
precedent.
This updated version of the 2017 Format guide contains
corrections made to John F. Kennedy, Sports Balls, Sharks, Protect
Pollinators and Father Ted Hesburgh formats which are indicated in
italics.
