Different formats of Stamps

Stamps are collected in various formats and are are found singly, in pairs, in threes, in blocks, in strips and in coils.

The words Sheets and Panes in philately are often confused with each other.  The printer produces stamps on sheets.  The sheet then contains a number of panes.  In the Victorian era, a pane consisted of 240 stamps.  In more modern times the pane consists of 200 stamps, however based on size and shape, this does vary as well.

The blank area around the outer edge of  a sheet is called the Sheet Edge or Selvage, while the blank area between the panes is called the Gutter.

Blocks of stamps are taken from panes and/or sheets of stamps.  We may refer to a block of stamps if it consists of a group of attached stamps at least two wide and two high.  Blocks are rarer than individual stamps and increase the value of those stamps.

Kindly note, that images below have been extracted from the image above for you to understand which part is which.

Cross Gutter Block

This is the rarest of the gutter varieties.  This means 4 stamps connected by a horizontal and vertical gutter.

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Plateblock

This is the most common.  It includes part of the margin where the serial numbers of the printing plates may be found.  When each stamp in a pane is of a different design, the entire pane is collected as a plate block.  Otherwise plate blocks are collected as blocks of 4 or more stamps.

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Corner Plateblock

This is basically the same as a Plateblock, however has 2 connected sides with Selvage areas.

 

Block

As previously mentioned this would be any 4 stamps attached together, minimum 2 high by 2 wide, with no gutters or selvage.

 

 

Arrow Block

On sheets of 200 stamps, arrows are printed in the margins (4 arrows on a sheet of 200 stamps) as guides for cutting the sheet into panes of 50.  An arrow block consists of 4 stamps showing the v-shaped arrow and sheet margin.

Vertical Line Block

This is a block of 4 stamps with no gutters, but a vertical line (for the perforations) down the middle.

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Horizontal Line Block

This is a block of 4 stamps with no gutters, but a horizontal line (for the perforations) down the middle.

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Centre Line Block

Centre Line Blocks have lines printed down the middle of the sheet.

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Imprint Block

An Imprint Block is any of the above blocks which features the name of the Printer on the Selvage/Sheet Edge.

Vertical Gutter Pair

This consists of 2 stamps, next to each other, joined by a “gutter”.

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Horizontal Gutter Pair

This consists of 2 stamps, on top of each other, joined by a “gutter”.

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Vertical Line Pair

This consists of 2 stamps with the guide line (for the perforations) printed vertically between them.  These pairs are hard to find.

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Horizontal Line Pair

Also consists of 2 stamps with the guide line (for the perforations) running horizontally between them.

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Vertical Pair

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Horizontal Pair

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Single Stamp

 

Coils of Stamps

Coils of stamps were stamps printed mainly for sale in vending machines.  They have horizontal  perforations  between the stamps, but on the vertical edges there are no perforations.

Strips of stamps

2 or more stamps joined together horizontally or vertically.

Miniature Sheet / Souvenir Sheet

This is a small group (1 or more) of postage stamps, attached to the original sheet they were printed on.  They are regular issues or commemorative issues, such as philatelic exhibitions, anniversaries or programs.  In some miniature sheets, the stamps form part of the larger background image.

 

I trust that these explanations have assisted you in identifying the various formats that stamps are collected in and I welcome any comments, thoughts and even critics.