US Scott #596 Find - Impossible!

Good point stampcrow.... If it did it would make the measurement a bit shorter I think But in this case it is right to the T on the 1/4 mark on my gauge. And from what I read it can be longer because of the printing method that is why it is longer in the first place from what I have read so far.

huffy my stamp is very brick around the head it is not a great picture like I said it was from my phone and free handed. My eyes are not as good as they use to be. I use a fluorescent lighted magnifier 8 in glass it helps me a lot with checking for details. But hey thanks for the point because it made me go back and check the stamp again.

for 3 days I was reviewing my extras albums before get away,, or sale or donate and I found this one missplace in 11x10 1/2 perf but I decide take the measures again and is 11x11 well I decide to take all my green and measure again all my I dont know.. take 3 days...this is mint and longer...

Scott 552

i have to scan this two because I know is hard to believe even for me... just because 1/4 of a millimeter is very hard to see with a naked eye,,, I like to do it cause I know probably you have one and you just need to take time to measure again...

Forgive the doubtful… a rare stamp is just that; rare. About the same chances as winning a lottery. This forum is full of thread where folks think they have a rarity; 99% of the time they are mistaken. But however unlikely, sometimes a rare stamp is uncovered.

Using measurements to determine a #596 is very difficult. The dimensional delta is very small, a fraction of a millimeter or two here or there and a common stamp becomes a rare one. Add to this the fact that no two people use a ruler identically and we end up with a large amount of misunderstandings and misidentifications.

This is why the template method cannot be overemphasized. Make yourself a template from another, known stamp. You find instructions on making a template on Stamp Smarter http://stampsmarter.com/learning/Ma...methods.html "PRINTING METHODS Flat Plate, Rotary or Offset?"

After making a template, scan the template and the stamp if you would like additional input. Note: even with this the bottom line is that trying to ID one of these from an image is never going to be definitive. The only definitive way to ID a stamp like a #596 is to put it in the hands of an expert. Send it in to a certifying organization and please remember to come back to this thread and post the results.
Don

Not a 596,look at my re-tooled image of your picture,I did it on photoshop,I cut of the end of your 552 and placed it over your "596",exact match,there both 552's.

This is a great picture to show the size difference and the grid pattern in the 596's,the picture is of a 581 which is a 596 really just perf 10,the other is a 552,the cover was marked 632 but this was a mistake,I cut the 581 in half and placed it over the 552,now you can see that there is a noticeable difference in the 2 stamps.

I had the same problem with stuff,trust me and listen to these guys here on the site,they probably have 1000 years experience between them all.Saying that ask questions though,it's the only way to learn.

Take a closer look at what you did. It tends to happen when we're trying to convince ourselves we have a rare item. Don't trust yourself. Look close and you can see that the left stamp is a full frame line lower than the right stamp.
This isn't an accurate measurement comparison.

Comparing the size of a mint stamp to a used stamp may result in some slight differences. Also, show the back side of the stamp as well.

everybody know the measures of the Harding stamp 19 1/4 x 22 1/4..this a copy of my 596 in the back... you can see the difference...

In addition to using a stamp such as Scott 581 for a design size template, there is the Sonic Imagery U.S. Multi Gauge which has a template for rotary press vs flat plate.

Send it in,let everybody know the results though.