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Transportation coils facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Transportation coils are a special set of definitive stamps (stamps that are always available) released by the United States Postal Service (USPS) between 1981 and 1995. Even though their official name was "Transportation Issue" or "Transportation Series," people often call them "Transportation coils." This is because all the different values (like 1 cent or 5 cents) were made as coil stamps. Coil stamps come in long rolls, like tape, and are often used by businesses. Most of these stamps were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

The main idea behind this stamp series was to show historical transportation vehicles used in the United States since it became an independent country. The designs are simple, showing just the vehicle itself. They also have a short description, like "Circus Wagon" or "Ferryboat," and a date, which might be a decade or a specific year. Most of these stamps were made using a special printing method called engraving, which gives them a raised, detailed look. They were usually printed in one color on white paper, except for the $1 seaplane stamp, which had two colors. Some stamps also had special words printed on them in black, such as "Bulk Rate" or "ZIP + 4 Presort." Many of these had unusual prices, like 16.7 cents or 24.1 cents. These were used by companies that sent a lot of mail and often used precancels (stamps canceled before use).

Transportation coil, Canoe, plate 2
This 5-cent Canoe stamp is part of the Transportation coils series. You can see its plate number, S11, at the bottom.

What Are Plate Number Coils?

Small plate numbers were printed at the bottom of these stamps. You could find these numbers every 24, 48, or 52 stamps, depending on the printing machine used. Stamps with these numbers are known as plate number coils.

Why Collectors Love Them

This series has become very popular with stamp collectors. They like the classic engraved designs. Also, collecting stamps by their plate numbers became a big hobby. Many stamps with specific plate numbers are hard to find and can be quite valuable!

Vehicles on the Stamps

The Transportation coils series features many different types of vehicles. Here are some of them, listed by their value:

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