One of the more interesting anomalies in philately is how some types of specialty items of some countries are very popular while the same type of specialty material for another country is ignored. Look at marginal inscriptions. Marginal inscription plate numbers of the United States are avidly collected as plate blocks. Marginal inscriptions are avidly collected in Israel as tabs and the British area as Traffic Light gutter pairs. But for UN nobody collects Mint Inscription blocks despite years of dealer hype about them. Proofs are another area where collectors show different preferences by area (Proofs are the first impressions of the plate taken for printing control purposes and sometimes issued to the collecting public or prominent officials). Proofs of British Commonwealth stamps are scarce and were not regularly issued. When offered they sell quickly and for a lot of money. Proofs of Latin American stamps are also scarce, typically existing in quantities of less than 200. But they are not so esteemed by philatelists, probably because most never reached collector’s hands until the dispersal of the American Bank Note Company’s archives some twenty years ago. But United States Proofs are both common and popular. Proofs exist for hundreds of different stamps from 1847-1893 and the vast majority can be bought for less than $20 each. Can’t afford a mint US #40 at $575? Try a 40P4 for $50. And Proofs are beautiful impressions nearly always in VF condition and you never have to worry about repairs. They are worth your consideration.
