In late 1994, Harbour Lights introduced the first open edition lighthouse - a version of Cape Hatteras. It was called a "Great American Lighthouse". However, HL found out too late that that name had been copyrighted by someone else and in subsequent years the label read "Great Lighthouse of the World" (GLOW for short.)

In 1995, HL introduced a series of 5 Great Lakes lighthouses which appeared on US Postage stamps issued the year before. Since HL had already issued Split Rock and Marblehead OH among these 5, they decided to make them ALL open editions or GLOWs.

Collectors were upset. HL relented and agreed that no lighthouse would be released as a GLOW until and unless it had first been issued as a limited edition and the edition had been sold out.

So the remaining three lighthouses in the 5 lighthouse stamp set were reclassified as limited editions.

HL had also released or planned to release a few other GLOWs that had not been limited editions and changed the status on those as well.

You can read more about this reclassification in the HarbourLights.com archives