"Yep, looks like another one." (Another Pink Country Heart variety, that is.) We've said this frequently during the past several months while putting together a catalog of modern (post-1978) ALA seal varieties. In fact, since "completing" (such work is never really finished) our catalog, we found yet another type. And we are aware of numerous gaps in our knowledge about even those we've documented. In this article, we'll tell you what we have learned so far, and ask for your help in advancing our knowledge.
Here's the first version, which according to Green's Catalog was issued in 1989:
The distinguishing characteristic of this sheet of 15 die-cut peel-and-stick seals is the stock number "89-64-3" which appears on the tab. This seems to confirm the 1989 issue date . . . or does it? Perhaps the design was prepared during the end of 1989 but the seals were not actually released until spring of 1990? Does anyone have evidence that the Pink Country Hearts actually hit the mails in 1989? We were in Japan during most of this period so have little timely personal experience. We'll appreciate your help in sorting out these historical events.
You will notice we have captioned the illustration above "89-S4" rather than using the "89-N-4" from Green's. A later update in Seal News changed the number to "89-H-1.x". However, we understand that when Green's is reissued in the future all the Nature and Heart seals will be renumbered with "S" for "Spring/Summer", so we've made up our own numbers on this basis, and will use them to refer to the varieties and illustrations in the rest of this article.
With no firm information about when any of the other varieties were designed or released, we decided to group them all together in 1990, and make them all sub-types of the same basic design. Let's look at them.
All the "1990" varieties have stock number "8043" on the tab. Under normal light, the designs and colors of the seals themselves are quite similar. The most notable differences lie in the number of seals per pane, the wording on the tab, and the backing paper. The critical distinguishing characteristics below are underlined. We have listed the varieties in an order which makes for easier explanation; perhaps chronological order here and in our catalog would be better if this could be determined.
This is the only pane which has but a single inscription on the tab:
The stock number is on the line below the last line of the inscription. The backing paper is brown.
The next variety is identical except that the other inscription from the 1989 version also appears at the top of the tab:
Just as for 90-S5, the "8043" is on the line below the second inscription, the tab is 30mm high, and the backing paper is brown. The same is true of the following type, but in this case one row of seals is missing:
This is the only pane of 12 seals, 3x4. It is almost identical to the previous type, except that the height of the tab is only 25mm high. In fact, possibly 90-S5.2 is the only variety which came off the press, but later the bottom row of seals and about 5mm of the tab were trimmed off to accommodate a shorter envelope for mailing. Joe Ward recently showed us this sheet in its original envelope (just large enough to accommodate the pane) with pine cone motif. 90-S5, from which the entire first inscription was trimmed, may be a similar case of cutting down to fit an envelope. Can anyone tell us for sure?
The next tab illustration represents two different varieties:
We're back now to the 3x5 format, but a careful look shows that the wording on the tab has been redrawn. The "8043" is in a somewhat smaller font, and is only slightly below the last line of the inscription. More dramatically, the backing paper is white rather than brown. So why two varieties, you may ask . . .
Well, first, it's not exactly the same color of white (maybe you remember the song "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which hit the charts in 1967?). The backing paper on 90-S5.3 is slightly off-white and has a faintly textured, ribbed appearance. In contrast, the paper on 90-S5.4 is very white and smooth; it appears "hard" compared to the first type. But if you have only one type and nothing for comparison, it will be difficult to distinguish them. However . . .
If you have a black light, the difference is much easier to see. It is particularly dramatic under long-wave ultra-violet, but can also be seen under short-wave. What's more, you can even identify single seals which have been separated from their backing paper, for it is the seals themselves which differ. The pink on 90-S5.3 glows orange under UV, while on 90-S5.4 the yellow flowers surrounding the hearts fluoresce bright yellow. If you happen to have one used on a cover, this could be the key to determining the date they were released.
Incidentally, although this test is particularly valuable for the pair described above, the fluorescent characteristics of many of the varieties differ markedly. If you have a black light and two or more Pink Heart types, compare all the ink colors as well as the seal paper and backing paper.
In the next variety, the "8043" on the tab has moved up again and is now on the same line with the bottom of the second inscription:
The format is again 3x5, and we're back to brown backing.
Can you spot the difference between the following tab and all the previous varieties?
The messages themselves are the same, and the "8043" is in line with the bottom of the second. But note that " " (registered trademark) has been added following "American Lung Association". Neat, huh! Just too bad the seals themselves aren't different. But then, the lack of any wording or dates on the seals, and not even the double-barred cross of the issuing organization, is part of their charm.
Finally, just after we got our catalog printed, a new variety arrived in the mail from Betsy's aunt in California. We plan to name it "90-S5.8", even though it seems likely to be the 1996 version of the Pink Country Hearts. We haven't pictured it here, as the seals and tab appear the same as 90-S5.7, including the " ". The difference is that these seals have white backing paper, similar to that on 90-S5.4.
While trying to sort out the various types, we organized them into the table reproduced nearby. This format may be useful to you as you check your panes and singles to determine their types. Also note that we've left several blanks and question marks in the table. With no printer's mark or union label, we don't even have a guess as to who the printers might have been, but perhaps you can supply this information. Note there's also a whole blank row at the bottom in case you find yet another variety. We'll be pleased to hear about anything you can tell us, and the next edition of Green's will be better because of your efforts.
You may also wonder about the scarcity/value of the various types. While this is mostly of curiosity value to a collector, such knowledge is critical to us dealers when we buy and sell these seals. Based on the quantities we have accumulated and on discussions with John Denune and Joe Ward, we've taken a rough guess at the relative values; those included in the chart are generally proportional to what we plan to charge in our next price list. But we'll very much appreciate any information you can add to these guesses. If you've gathered several Pink Country Hearts from various sources over time and your distribution indicates different relativities, or if you happen to have a stack of 1,000 of a variety we thought was scarce, we'd like to hear about it!
In fact, as a small incentive to you to go through your collection and tell us what you find, we'll send you a copy of our new 12-page 1979 to 1995 catalog in exchange for any information you send us, even if it's only to say that you didn't discover any new varieties and to confirm that our estimated relative scarcities seem about right. Thank you in advance for your help!
Send us a message at BetsyChuck@att.net