Plating and positioning

Plating and positioning refer to the methods used to identify individual stamps on a sheet by their specific location. For the first issue of Dutch postage stamps in 1852, the position of each stamp on the printing plate is marked, usually with a combination of Roman numerals and numerals. This allows collectors to distinguish between stamps and identify specific features, such as defects or retouches that occurred during the printing process. Such details help verify the authenticity and history of the stamps.

The concept of “Plates”

“Placing” and “positioning” are two concepts that are an extension of each other. The “plate” is to determine which plate the seal comes from, we indicate the plate in question with a Roman numeral. “Positioning” is determining the position of the relevant seal in the sheet. We indicate this position with a number from 1 to 100. For example, a stamp with the notation I-45 comes from plate I and has position 45.