Earlier I had posted that we were renewing our passports and would track the dates because the question is constantly raised about the time line. We mailed the renewal forms to Phil, PA on March 25. Both passport renews were in separate envelopes in one big envelope. It was standard processing and we did not request any additional services. Received acknowledgement of receipt and beginning of processing on the 29th. On April 21st I received mine via priority mail and Marcia's came on the 22nd -- 27 days, not bad. Both passports were mailed from Charleston, SC
Then, we opened the envelopes and the surprise began. Both passports had the standard blue/black, stiff covers with gold lettering but that was the end of the similarities. My passport was renewed April 18th and appears to be nearly identical to my old passport. Marcia's was renewed on the 19th and is totally different.
My ID page has nice large, bright, clear, colored, picture of me with some wavy blue lines through the picture. Marcia's actually id page is a heavy plastic with a small photo on the left in black/white (we had submitted color photos). There is a transparent Coat of Arms over the picture. All the printing is larger and raised over a large purplish Coat of Arms seal. When tilted in a bright light an engraved image of Mt Rushmore shows instead of the eagle. In the lower R hand corner is a half inch, thumb nail of the same BW picture on the left except that it is very hazy. Difficult to see a clear picture unless held at an angle under a bright light. My passport number is a standard 9 digit number but Marcia's is a 9 digit alpha/numerical number. Marcia's id number is actually punched, perforated, through the plastic down the side of the page and on every page of her passport.
On the signature page, mine is just the signature line and the bald eagle with the flag. Marcia's signature page has her full size color photo but broken up with a lot of fuzzy lines, the signature line, and a light blue, background graphic. I have 20 pages for visa stamps but Marcia only has 19 but her visa pages are numbered. That might be handy if you were trying to find a particular visa stamp.
The number of security additions is probably tenfold over the old passport. Her passport does not copy well so the days of carrying a passport copy (as frequently argued here) probably are over. Interesting that I got the old one and she got the new one because of one day differences. Anyone else get the new format?