Scott 2011 US Specialized Catalog

I just got the 2011 US specialized and began going through it, paying attention to some of my favorites.

A question has come up. The initial issue (1908) of the Washington-Franklins had been listed with a variety called "China Clay" paper on several of the issues. In the 2011 catalog, they have been "delisted" with the explanation that research has indicated that they never really existed.

Could someone with the 2010, 2009, or 2008 tell me if the 2011 catalog is the first to be without the China Clay paper listings, or did the delisting occur earlier.

Not a matter of earth shaking importance, but I am curious.

I had considered biting the bullet and trying to get just one of those. So glad I did not. Can you imagine those collectors who had what are presumably certified examples and which listed in Scott for $1000 each think now. Can't be a good situation, since the stamps have become essentially worthless or worth just a few dollars at most.

The 2008 specialized mentions the China clay paper on Scott numbers 331-340 ! Boy thats getting DEEP into specialization !!

The China Clay variety was removed from the 2009 edition. Testing on the China Clay issues showed that the paper was not really china clayb but was poorly processed dirty paper. The normal paper supplier, Eastern Manufacturing Co, had production problems so BEP sought temporary paper suppliers. This paper may have been produced by Champion Coated Paper Co. They had tried to supply paper previously but it was always rejected.

SCF members may or may not have picked up on my love for the Washington/Franklins. They are an endless source of fascination and study for me. I do like the odd balls among them. Unfortunately for me, the odd balls usually cost a pretty penny.

rohumpy,

I'd welcome any advice you might have on how to distinguish between a Scott 481 (intaglio) and a 531 (offset).

Steve

The offset printings have a smoother surface, the ink build-up is not as thick as in the intaglio process. Also the printed image is not as detailed or sharp. This is one of those things that become really easy after you have done it a few times. Additionally, the 531 color is different with the grayish green being the most common and even the dark green variety is not nearly as rich as the rotary or flat plate varieties.

Russ,

Thanks. I found that this page on the 1847USA site provided a really good description of the differences.

http://www.1847usa.com/washfrank/pr...hods.htm#Why wider or longer?

And please accept my belated Welcome Aboard!

Steve

Yes, what Russ said. The ink on the offsets is flat with no raised ridges. On intaglio, there is a noticeable raising of the lines, particularly the frame lines. Try very gently dragging the tip of your tongs across the stamp. You can feel the ridges.

Also the offsets don't have the "crispness" ,for lack of a better word, that the intaglios do. They just don't look as good. I know that might be somewhat subjective, but once you compare the two types side by side, you can see instantly what I mean.

Also the color of the "green" 1 cent is definitely greyish compared with the greens of the intaglios. The carmines of the 2 cent stamps are not so different.

rohumpy makes an excellent point here. If I owned two or three of these I'd be livid (ticked off for those of you from the south)!

I know from reading Siegel catalogs that the PF will no longer (since about 2002 or so) issue certs on these and that there's a lot of controversy surrounding them.

Meanwhile, they still bring strong money when they do come up for auction and described accurately (Including being sold effectively "as-is" because the PF won't certify them anymore)