Hi all, I couldn't find any information on this so I thought I ask the veterans. On the reverse side of the notes, in a series, is the plate number always in order as Well? The ones I found are consecutive in serial number on the obverse but the plate numbers are different. Is this common? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
First, the notes are not consecutive serial numbers. Even if they were the back plate number may be in order or they may not be. It all depends on what plates are put on the press.
Just curious but the last two digits are 29 for one of the notes and 30 for the other note with the first 6 digits being the same numbers. This is not considered consecutive? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
So the plate number does not have to be consecutive? The notes can have different plate numbers not in order? I'm just a little confused because I would think that the plate number would be one above or one less the number of the note that is ahead or before it unless they are all stamped at the same time (ie note number 30000001 would have plate number 2 and note number 3000002 would have plate number 3 and note number 30000000 would have plate number 1 and so on). Can you clarify please? Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
It's crazy...i didn't realize that I had notes with same first and last 2 digits being the same Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
These are the ones with non consecutive plate numbers and again nevermind...its been a long week... Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Yes. The new SOI presses, used for the 50-subject $1 notes, hold three plates at a time, which keep cycling around the press. The three plates mounted on a press may or may not have consecutive numbers, and may or may not be mounted on the press in numerical order. In particular, if one plate wears out or becomes damaged, it'll often be replaced while the other two remain in use--so all sorts of different combinations of plates are possible. The backs of the notes are printed first, then the faces. This means that if you get a stack of consecutive notes, the back plates most often cycle *backwards*. Let's say the BEP put back plates 6, 7, 8 on a press in that order; then a stack of consecutive notes would show back plates 8, 7, 6, 8, 7, 6, 8, ... (Of course, if plate 7 then needed replacing, they might very well replace it with plate 15 or something, and keep running the press with plates 6, 15, 8 installed.) Also, the sheets are inspected after the back printing, and again after the face printing; each time, defective sheets are removed. That means that the cycle of plate numbers may "skip" occasionally, when a bad sheet is pulled out. (These inspections take place before the serial numbers are even printed, so no star notes are involved here--the bad sheets are just removed and destroyed.) So in general, there's no way to predict the plate number of one note by looking at the plate number of the next consecutive note.
A cool resource for those who may not know about it... http://www.uspapermoney.info/ http://www.uspapermoney.info/serials/ The second link includes star note info as well as regular notes.
