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Message:: [QUOTE="Numbers, post: 1355442, member: 11668"]These days, most stars are issued in full-strap form.  For efficiency reasons, the BEP no longer replaces single error notes with single star notes.  They replace either the full sheet containing the error (if it's discovered before the sheets are cut), or else the full strap containing the error (if it's discovered after the cutting-and-strapping operation).  In practice, a lot more stars are used in the latter way than in the former way. Typically, when the BEP needs more star straps, they print a full run of stars (or at least a biggish partial run).  But when they need more star sheets, they print a fairly short partial run, since they don't go through star sheets nearly as fast.  Therefore, the stars from the short runs generally aren't available in full straps, which makes those short-run stars even scarcer in the collector market than their low printage totals would indicate.  Exceptions exist, where a short run is printed in strap form, and those short runs usually don't wind up being as scarce as other similarly short runs. Basically, if you see a full strap of stars, you can be pretty sure that they're "common" stars.  Feel free to collect them if you find them interesting, but don't expect them to be worth large multiples of face value in the near future.[/QUOTE]