Design error on current U.S. flag stamp

"... The images, captured at different times of the day show the flag flying at sunrise, at midday, at sunset, and at night... Close examination of the "evening" stamp, located in the lower-right quadrant of the official design featured on the U.S.P.S. website, reveals that the stamp apparently has one too many stripes..."

The size of the blue canton is such that exactly 7 alternating stripes run to the left of the canton. Because the top stripe is always red, the seventh stripe, the bottom of which lines up with the bottom of the blue field, is also red. The next stripe down would then have to be white. This stripe has the distinction of being the first stripe (from the top), that spans the full width of the flag.

It is this stripe which provides the vital clue as to the design error. The blue field rests above this long white stripe. If you counted from the top, this first long white stripe, is stripe number 8.

In the magnified view of the stamp image, there are 6 more stripes visible, before the image is clipped off. The small area located in the lower-left corner of the design is clearly white. By counting the stripes below the blue canton, starting with the white stripe (number 8) it is very evident that there is a 14th stripe and it is white..."

Since millions have already been issued, this will never be another "inverted Jenny," but it will likely rise in value and is certainly collectible. Thanks, Gerald at the Presurfer, for the heads-up this morning. I went to our local postoffice, which was sold out of self-adhesive and water-activated sheets, but did have the coil stamps, so I got a couple rolls of those.

Update per FOX news online: "The Postal Service plans to let the "Flags 24/7" series stay on the market, extra stripe and all, and will continue to be printed until the next stamp-price increase. "They will remain on sale as is," Betts said. "But we acknowledge the error." Darn.