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<p>[QUOTE="Numbers, post: 582233, member: 11668"]Those are actually a lot simpler to calculate, since the serialling system was quite different.... The sheets were cut in half vertically before numbering, and then the six notes on each half-sheet were numbered consecutively from top to bottom. So all you have to do is divide the serial number by 6 and look at the remainder: if it's 1, the note should be from position A or G; if it's 2, B or H; and so on.</p><p><br /></p><p>There's no way to determine from the serial number whether a note will be from the left half of the sheet (A-B-C-D-E-F) or the right half (G-H-I-J-K-L), but it's also not completely random. If you look at consecutive runs of serial numbers, the next note after an F is nearly always an A, and the next note after an L is nearly always a G. So the BEP seems to have printed a bunch of consecutive numbers on left half-sheets, and then another bunch of consecutive numbers on right half-sheets, rather than mixing them. Unfortunately these bunches didn't come in standard sizes; near as we can tell, they may've been based on however many notes the BEP was planning to print that day, or some such thing.</p><p><br /></p><p>The few surviving 12-subject uncut sheets typically have 12 consecutive serial numbers on them, with the numbering proceeding straight from position F to position G. Thus these sheets appear to have been handled specially and not numbered in the usual way. Some exceptional sheets (the Hawaii and North Africa $1's) have six consecutive numbers on each side with a gap of several thousand serials between the two sides; these are presumably representative of the BEP's usual numbering at the time.</p><p><br /></p><p>It should also be noted that the 1929 Type 1 Nationals were serialled differently, using sheet numbers, not note numbers. That is, on any given half-sheet, all six notes would have the *same* serial number (just with a different prefix letter on each). So obviously it's possible for any number to fall in any plate position on these notes.... But the Type 2 Nationals switched to the same system as all other currency, so the divide-by-6 rule works for them.</p><p><br /></p><p>Incidentally, this calculation works for nearly all large-size notes too, except with sheets of 4 rather than 6. Typically the plate positions were just A-B-C-D, though toward the end of the large-size era the BEP started using some 8-subject plates...the resulting sheets were cut in half vertically and then numbered in the same way as the 4-subject sheets, so positions E-F-G-H are equivalent to A-B-C-D respectively. Once again, though, Nationals were the exception; all large-size Nationals used sheet numbers rather than note numbers, so that the serial number and plate position are independent of one another. And a few early Gold Certificates were printed in sheets of 3 rather than 4, but those are pretty rare to run across....</p><p><br /></p><p>Hope this helps! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie6" alt=":cool:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Numbers, post: 582233, member: 11668"]Those are actually a lot simpler to calculate, since the serialling system was quite different.... The sheets were cut in half vertically before numbering, and then the six notes on each half-sheet were numbered consecutively from top to bottom. So all you have to do is divide the serial number by 6 and look at the remainder: if it's 1, the note should be from position A or G; if it's 2, B or H; and so on. There's no way to determine from the serial number whether a note will be from the left half of the sheet (A-B-C-D-E-F) or the right half (G-H-I-J-K-L), but it's also not completely random. If you look at consecutive runs of serial numbers, the next note after an F is nearly always an A, and the next note after an L is nearly always a G. So the BEP seems to have printed a bunch of consecutive numbers on left half-sheets, and then another bunch of consecutive numbers on right half-sheets, rather than mixing them. Unfortunately these bunches didn't come in standard sizes; near as we can tell, they may've been based on however many notes the BEP was planning to print that day, or some such thing. The few surviving 12-subject uncut sheets typically have 12 consecutive serial numbers on them, with the numbering proceeding straight from position F to position G. Thus these sheets appear to have been handled specially and not numbered in the usual way. Some exceptional sheets (the Hawaii and North Africa $1's) have six consecutive numbers on each side with a gap of several thousand serials between the two sides; these are presumably representative of the BEP's usual numbering at the time. It should also be noted that the 1929 Type 1 Nationals were serialled differently, using sheet numbers, not note numbers. That is, on any given half-sheet, all six notes would have the *same* serial number (just with a different prefix letter on each). So obviously it's possible for any number to fall in any plate position on these notes.... But the Type 2 Nationals switched to the same system as all other currency, so the divide-by-6 rule works for them. Incidentally, this calculation works for nearly all large-size notes too, except with sheets of 4 rather than 6. Typically the plate positions were just A-B-C-D, though toward the end of the large-size era the BEP started using some 8-subject plates...the resulting sheets were cut in half vertically and then numbered in the same way as the 4-subject sheets, so positions E-F-G-H are equivalent to A-B-C-D respectively. Once again, though, Nationals were the exception; all large-size Nationals used sheet numbers rather than note numbers, so that the serial number and plate position are independent of one another. And a few early Gold Certificates were printed in sheets of 3 rather than 4, but those are pretty rare to run across.... Hope this helps! :cool:[/QUOTE]
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