Double Transfer And Stitch Watermark On Doi Official Stamps

First is a nice example of a DT in the "DEPT OF THE INTERIOR" label. I don't see it listed in my Scott catalogue. The stamp is an #O99.

Edit: The #O99 is a perfectly normal stamp. My bad

Second is an example of a vertical stitch watermark on an #O97. It is difficult to see but it is there. Stitch watermarks are pretty tough to find on the large banknotes.

Are you referring to the lines to the right of the letters of "DEPT." and "INTERIOR"? Sayers said that he was unable to find a plate variety on this stamp. As the same plate was used to produce both the Continental and American printings it is surprising that such a variety has not come to light before. It should also exist on a plate proof. Are the letters on your stamp a different width from the letters on a "normal" 6¢ Interior stamp. If you are correct, and I am not saying you are wrong, it would certainly warrant a PF certificate for a listing in the Scott Specialized.

Yes, I was. I will see if I can find another #O99 to look at. I agree with what you are saying. I am probably wrong about this one because now that I look at it, there is no doubling in the N of "INTERIOR"...

Double transfer in "DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR" - Not! wtcrowe, the elusive DT in the 6c DOI stamp remains to be found. Darn it. I bought the lot for the stitch watermark anyway.

The first time I really looked at this stamp I thought it was a DT as well. No other value of the set has the same shading as the 6 cent does.
Stitch watermarks were very popular in the 20's and 30's but fell out of favor.

I actually think there is healthy demand for such varieties among advanced collectors and specialists. I can't deny that prices and demand would be better if general collectors had an interest beyond filling spots in an album or collecting only what is catalogue listed.

I will go out on a limb and say that stitch watermarks found on stamps of the large banknote era are scarce enough to not outstrip demand.

Here is another Bank Note (#159) stitch I stumbled on a few years back.
Don

I remembered that you had that one. Funny that both of them are vertical. I never see them vertical on the 1851-61's. I do have one that is sort of diagonal though.

Part of the reason they are so scarce is because no one is about to sit down and watermark thousands of stamps in the hope of finding one. So they only get found by accident. And they are no longer listed in the catalog, so most collectors today probably don't even know what they are or what caused them. Being "scarce enough to outstrip demand" for this type of specialty item does not make it even close to the popularity it had back then, when they were in the catalog and there were articles written about them regularly.

Stitch watermarks are fairly plentiful on the 1851's and rather hard to find on the 1857's but still more common than those on large banknotes. I think the increasing paucity of stitch watermarks from the 1851's through to the large banknotes is due to the increasing size of the paper machines and not for lack of trying to find them.

I don't have much reason to happen on to one but does anybody have an example of a stitch watermark on one of the 1861's?

I have seen them on first issue revenues, which are from that time period.

I have several thousand 3c 1861's.....haven't seen one, but can't say that I've looked at each one, either....

1857, Scott #20 with stitch watermark



I don't believe this is rare, but probably not common. I really don't think adds any value?

the signature on back I can't make out? but I think Ashbrook? Only one in my collection with a signed back and only one I have with a stitch watermark (I think)

Redwoodrandy,

"...but not on this example". Can you elaborate???? So it says Stanley B. Ashbrook. Now I see it. It was the middle initial that was throwing me for a loop. Are you suggesting it's a forged signature?

Rg

Just responding to your "but I think Ashbrook."
Stanley B Ashbrook