This article by William R. Bush, M.D. has been extracted, revised, and/or copied from
The United States Specialist. Journal of the Bureau Issues Association, Inc.

United States

360-Subject
Booklet Pane Positions

By William R. Bush, M.D.

Bill Bush told me that viewing the US booklet pane sheets at The Smithsonian Institution's Department of Philately and Postal History had a crystalization effect on his visualization of leaflet and pane posirtions. Stamp collector specialist adopted a classification suggestion by G. H. Beans. It is shown in May 1913 Everybody's Specialist. The United States Specialist. VOL XLIV, NO. 3, MARCH 1973, pp108-114 By William R Bush

As with the 180-subject layout, the position of the various panes is indicated by numbers beginning in the upper left (UL) corner No. 1 and reads from left to right to No. 60. There are 12 collectible plate positions, Their descriptions follow:

A. The ordinary booklet pane without distinguishing features occurs at sheet positions 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 57, 58, 59, and 60. (31/60)
B. Vertical guide line on right margin and split arrow to the left in the tab. Occurs in 5 only. (1/60)
C. Vertical guide line on left margin and split arrow to the right in the tab. Occurs in 6 only. (1/60).
D. Plate number pane. Occurs in 7 only. (1/60).
E Does not occur on the 360-subject plate.
F Does not occur on the 360-subject plate.
G. Does not occur on the 360-subject plate.
H. Vertical guide line on right margin. Occurs in 15, 45 and 55. (3/60).
I. Vertical guide line on left margin. Occurs in 16, 46, and 56. (3/60).
J. Horizontal guide line on bottom margin. Occurs in 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, and 30. (8/60).
K. Vertical guide line on right margin and horizontal guide line on bottom margin. Occurs in 25 only. (1/60).
L. Vertical guide line on left margin and horizontal guide line on bottom margin. Occurs in 26 only. (1/60).
M. Horizontal guide line on top margin. Occurs 31, 32, 33, 34, 37, 38, 39 and 40. (8/60).
N. Vertical guide line on right margin and horizontal guide line on top margin. Occurs in 35 only. (1/60).
O. Vertical guide line on left margin and horizontal guide line on top margin. Occurs in 36 only. (1/60).

Only one each, according to Harrison, of Positions B, C, K, L, N, or O may be obtained from each 360-subject sheet, depending upon whether the knife fell to the right or left, top or bottom of the guide lines. There are eight Position J and eight Position M on every 360-subject sheet. Because the horizontal guide line appears so close to the bottom row of stamps on panes 21 to 30, Positions M, N, and O occur with a great deal less frequency than Positions J, K, and L.