Washington Expert Required For Massive Project

1847.com has a bunch of useful help pages on identify the washingtons. James Dire's page http://www.jamesdire.net/W-F.html also is very helpful.

Thanks for the helpful tip!

As an update to day one's sorting, I can up with a few hundred coils which I have yet to identify. I put a few at the top to give an idea. They all look like perf 10's.

Don't forget to look for special postmarks too! RPO's DPO's APO's...etc.. Some postmarks can be worth more than the stamps themselves! Russ and wt1 got me addicted to postmarks and research so now I keep a sharp eye out for anything unusual as it may tell an exciting story believe it or not. I'll say this though, I sure wish that I had your "problem" right now! I'm starting to really enjoy the Washington Franklin issues.

Where in SC are you? I am in Charlotte NC

THanks for the note on the postmarks...Ill post some pics if I find anything unusual. I am in Greenville (about 1 hr away).

Here are some of the perfins that were already off paper. I have tons more. I dont collect perfins so if there are any that interest the community please let me know.

That looks like loads of fun! I lived in Greenville years ago. I remember as a kid going to a small stamp shop in the Haywood Mall (this was the mid '80s).

Matt

Thanks Matt. Fun thus far but a bit overwhelming due to my lack of knowledge on the issue. If you have not been to Greenville in the past 5 years you would likely not recognize it; Woodruff road has changed from a 2 line highway to a jam-packed nighmare with stores all over the place. The store in Haywood is long gone.... :(

Quote:
special postmarks too! RPO's DPO's APO's...etc.. Some postmarks can be worth more than the stamps themselves!

Really?

I did not know that.

I have been going through W/F all day, the first thing I did is check the water marks, separated the 190s from the 191 and no WM.

Made the job easier and quick.

Be sure to seperate any imperfs out too, especially those with Vending & Affixing Machine perforations.

They can also be found with perfins, greatly increasing the value.

I'm sure there are others here on SCF who, like me, would like to get a chance at a big pile of perfins. Keep posting and once you reach the 50 post minimum, place them for auction here in the auction section of this forum and we can all take a stab at it!

Ryan

Pick-up a copy of "Washington-Franklins 1908-1921" by Martin A. Armstrong and go from there; it will help you understand this complex area.

Hi all. I have not checked in in a while so I thought I would give an update as to where I am with this monster....
So first off my inital 100K est of stamps was off; I now believe it to be in the range of 2-300,000 stamps. I have decided to start sorting by 1c vs 2c and simultainously sort by coil vs. non coil AND off paper vs on. I am keeping the perfins (of which there are 1000's) seperate as well

I have been working this for weeks and have not even made a dent.

It looks like this lot is averaging the following:
60% 2C (non coil, perfs not seperated yet)
10% 2C (coils (horizintal and vertical)
10% 1c non, coil
5% 1c coil
15% various others 3-5c stamps and envelope cuts

Quite the hoard I have here and this looks to be a multi year project with some very nice surprises lurking....

Sounds like a fun project! Give it a few months and you'll be the resident expert.

I hope so since I have gotten some good advice here but I have not even begun to research my stamps.... I think it will be a few months to even get THAT part done.