Why renumber issues?

You're probably here because you're ready to file an error that our numbers are off or you're ready to light the place on fire for a similar reason. Fair enough. Let us explain.

In May of 2017, the ISCA released it's new guidelines for OA Insignia. One of the main changes was that the guide would reorder issues to remove decimal issues and correct chronological errors from the past.

“Because it has been many years since Blue Book began and more information and knowledge has been secured, to get issues back in the best chronological sequence, issues are being renumbered. Once a lodge has been updated by Editors per procedure, the issues will use the “new” way of identifying issues by placing a dash between the letter and number of the issue." (pp16)

We are not going to use the hyphen/dash for issue numbers, but we do agree with the concept that a correct accounting of issues is important. We're also aware that most people have decades of history here with a certain numbering system.

In each case on PatchVault, the lodge editors have decided to update the numbering to be in line with what the Lodge traders know from their own history and issue catalogs, not what someone half a country away wrote down in a list of First Flaps.

To make this less painful, we've also included BBv6 (2006) numbers wherever possible. We know this won't be what everyone wants, but it's our best solution to avoid significant drift from the OA Insignia standards and also allow for people to know what they're looking at. At the end of the day, the best description of a patch is the picture, and we're focused on making sure those are the best they can be to help traders of all kinds discover and share their collections.

— The PatchVault Editors