TheTransportation coils series is a set ofdefinitive stamps issued by theUnited States Postal Service between 1981 and 1995. Officially dubbed the "Transportation Issue" or "Transportation Series", they have come to be called the "transportation coils" because all of thedenominations were issued incoil stamp format.[1] All values except three were printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.[2]
The theme of the series was historicaltransportationvehicles used in theUnited States since its independence. The designs are spare, consisting only of the vehicle itself, and with inscriptions describing the general type ("Circus Wagon" or "Ferryboat") and a date, either a decade or sometimes a specific year.[2] The stamps are primarilyengraved, almost all in a single color on plain white paper (the $1 seaplane is in two colors). Some of the denominations also received specialservice inscriptions in black, such as "Bulk Rate" or "ZIP + 4 Presort".[2] Many of those denominations were unusual decimal rates, such as 16.7 or 24.1 cents, used bybulk mailers and other businesses[1] who also usedprecancels.[2] Decimal rates had previously appeared on some coils of the 1975Americana series.
Plate numbers were printed in small letters at the bottom of the stamps at intervals of twenty-four, forty-eight, or fifty-two depending on the printing press employed and these stamps are known asplate number coils.[2] The series has become popular withstamp collectors, both because of the "classic" engraved designs, and because to the emergence of the plate number collecting. Many issues with specific plate numbers are hard to find and can be valuable.[citation needed]
Stamps of the series (ordered by denomination, not issue date):