1983 US Medal of Honor Stamp (Scott #2045) Missing Color Error

Among the various error types in US stamp collecting, missing color varieties occupy a special place. Unlike inverted centers or imperforate errors (which are immediately obvious to any observer), missing color errors require careful comparison to identify, but once found, they document real mechanical failures in the stamp printing process and are genuinely collectible varieties.

The 1983 20-cent Medal of Honor stamp (Scott #2045) exists with a missing color variety that represents a collectible error for this popular commemorative issue.

The Medal of Honor Stamp: Context

The 20-cent Medal of Honor stamp was issued in 1983 to honor recipients of the United States Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. The stamp was part of the regular commemorative program and features artwork depicting the medal itself in a patriotic design.

The stamp was printed by multicolor offset lithography, using multiple separate color passes to build up the final design. Each color (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, and sometimes additional specialty colors) was applied in a separate pass through the press.

What Is a Missing Color Error?

Missing color errors occur when one or more printing plates fail to apply ink during production. The resulting stamps are missing an entire color component from their design, which can produce dramatic or subtle effects depending on which color was omitted.

For the Scott #2045, the error involves the absence of one of the design colors, resulting in stamps that differ noticeably from the normal design when compared side by side. The missing color may be the metallic or a specific design element color.

Identifying the Error

Comparison is essential. To identify a missing color error:

1. Obtain both a normal example and a suspected error example
2. Compare them directly under good lighting
3. The missing color will be immediately apparent in the specific design element it normally contributes to

UV light can sometimes help identify color differences. Specialized references (Scott Specialized Catalogue, Errors, Freaks and Oddities Catalogue) provide specific documentation for known error varieties.

Condition Grades and Value

Missing color error stamps are typically valued as singles in unused condition (most were found in sheet or booklet form before use):

Values depend on the severity of the missing color (major missing colors are more dramatic and more valuable than partial or subtle color shifts) and on documentation. Expert certificates from recognized philatelic expertizing services (PSAG, PFC) significantly increase marketability for errors.

Expert Certification

For any error stamp worth over $100, obtaining an expert certificate from a recognized expertizing service is strongly recommended. Expert certificates:

• Authenticate the error as genuine

• Provide a professional opinion on condition

• Significantly increase buyer confidence and marketability

• Are essentially required for significant error stamps at major auctions

The Philatelic Foundation (PF) and Professional Stamp Experts (PSE) are among the recognized US expertizing services.

Error Stamps as a Collecting Specialty

Missing color errors represent one of several error categories:

• Missing colors: One or more printing passes absent

• Inverted centers: A printing pass applied upside down relative to the rest

• Imperforates: Perforations absent entirely

• Misperforates: Significant perforation shifts

• Color shifts: Registration error causing design elements to be significantly displaced

Each category has its own specialist collector community and reference literature. For the average collector, a well-documented missing color error in a familiar commemorative stamp represents an accessible entry point into error collecting without the five-figure price tags of major inverted center errors.

The Medal of Honor Issue in Context

The 1983 Medal of Honor stamp was issued during a period of renewed public interest in military honors, partly connected to the Vietnam War's aftermath and the establishment of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington (also in 1982-1983). The stamp has genuine thematic resonance beyond its philatelic interest.

The error variety adds a layer of collecting interest to what is already a meaningful stamp issue.

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