US Scott 2608 Coil Pair

I don't collect precancels -- or at least I thought I didn't. But Scott disagrees. The catalogue plainly states that 2602-8 are considered Precancels by the USPS.

I only know that for a modern and common stamp, it was annoyingly difficult for me to acquire this pair.



I have to admit, it seems like a bit of an effort for a stamp with 1/2 millimeter difference from it's neighboring 2606 & 2607. Of course, that's part of the fun, I guess:



KirkS

Some of the modern material are definitely going to be hard-to-find examples in years to come. The variety of perforations, printers, color variations and in the most modern material, issued in different formats (i.e. booklets, ATM booklets, PSA Coils, WAG Coils, etc.), are going to mean an elusive search for many of the varieties.

To prove it just look at the Scott Catalog where we had numbered entries from 1-2250 for all of 140 years (1847-1987) but for the most recent 24 years (1987-2011) the catalog numbers another 2250+ stamps and we're now up to well above Scott Numbers at 4500 and counting!

As a result of your thread, I just checked 12 postally used (but uncancelled, of course) examples of the above-referenced stamp as had been received on various bulk rate mail. Five (5) examples are the easy-to-spot Scott 2606. The remaining (7) are 2607 (I think). I don't have the 2608 (yet).

Frankly, I never really took much notice of these varieties until you pointed them out.

[Edit] Just found a few more of these stamps and I think I have the three examples designated by Scott Number 2606, 2607 and 2608. Does this look correct? The last two look similar but there is a distinctive color variation between them, as the last one (2608) is defined by the Scott Catalog as "violet blue":

WT1:

I don't think the color variations are as important as the font sizes.

Scott does say that 2608 is "violet blue" -- in my case, virtually the same color as 2607. 2607 has shiny gum, although that only helps if you're looking at mint stamps. Since mine are mint, I can indeed tell a difference in the gum on 2606 and 2607.

KirkS

For whatever it's worth:

Scott 2606 (Plate # prefixed by "A") was printed by American Banknote Co.
Scott 2607 (No Plate # prefix) was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Scott 2608 (Plate # prefixed by "S") was printed by Stamp Venturers