PLATE

EARLIEST KNOWN USE

MONTHS IN SERVICE

POSSIBLE COLORS¹

TOTAL IMPRESSIONS²

PERFORATED

% PERF.

IMPERF.

% IMPERF.

CATALOG VALUE³

TRUE VALUE⁴

1e

07/01/51

1.5

Orange Brown

2,267,800

0

N/A

2,267,800

0.57%

$110.00

$207.56

1i

07/12/51

2.5

Orange Brown

4,050,200

0

N/A

4,050,200

1.01%

$110.00

$116.22

5e

07/19/51

3.5

Orange Brown

5,093,600

0

N/A

5,093,600

1.27%

$110.00

$ 92.41

2e

07/23/51

3.5

Orange Brown

4,169,800

0

N/A

4,169,800

1.04%

$110.00

$112.88

0

09/08/51

3.0

Orange Brown

4,361,800

0

N/A

4,361,800

1.09%

$110.00

$ 107.91

1L

10/04/51

41.0

Experimental Orange Brown/Red

61,695,000

0

N/A

61,695,000

15.38%

$11.00

$ 7.63

2L

01/12/52

62.0

Red

85,730,800

484,600

0.12%

85,246,200

21.26%

$11.00

$ 5.52

3

01/15/52

60.0

Red

78,362,200

484,600

0.12%

77,877,600

19.42%

$11.00

$ 6.04

4

03/31/55

23.0

Red

45,347,800

7,751,200

1.93%

37,596,600

9.38%

$11.00

$ 12.52

5L

09/03/55

17.0

Red

21,151,000

581,200

0.14%

20,569,800

5.13%

$11.00

$ 22.88

6

02/18/56

17.0

Red

28,962,200

7,751,200

1.93%

21,211,000

5.29%

$11.00

$ 22.19

7

02/13/56

17.0

Red

36,713,400

15,502,400

3.87%

21,211,000

5.29%

$11.00

$ 22.19

8

04/14/56

14.0

Red

23,122,800

6,201,000

1.55%

16,921,800

4.22%

$11.00

$ 27.82

TOTALS

401,028,400

38,756,200

9.66%

362,272,200

90.34%

1. The "imperforate" plates that did not exclusively produce the orange brown impressions are commonly referred to as the "red" plates.  Plate 1L is included among the "red" plates, although it did produce the transitional "experimental orange brown" color.
2. Total impressions from each plate extrapolated by Carroll Chase from his holding of 5,100 imperforate 3-cent stamps in pairs, strips, and blocks.
3. Catalog values don't take color premiums into account.
4. True values derived from a baseline of $10.00 for a very-fine-centered stamp from one of the "red" plates with an average number of impressions (42,791,125) for all "red" plates combined.  This method bears itself out by bringing values for the most common orange brown impressions very near published catalog values.  True values don't take color premium into account.