Help Dating 2 Cent Washington

This is a partial piece, so I don't know about the watermark. Perf is 11 x 11 which indicates a possible Scott 461, 499, or 500. The later ones were issued 1917 and up, so if this date is pre-1917, then I guess it has to be 461. The darn date is smudged just in the wrong place. It is tough to tell any defining features, but appears to be a Type 1. So, short of taking it off and checking for watermarks, any other ideas? Thanks.

Note: The color is very light/pale when compared to my other similar items.

The 461 is a shade of carmine red vs the 499 being a rose shade. I have seen a lot of shades of the 499 though, so I doubt that helps. The canceler was typical of the time and it probably was used during all of those years. I think you will need to lift the stamp to check. A lot of work for a 499, but...

If it's a nice presentable cover I would just leave it be. But then again you never know? The chances of it being a #500 are sort of slim, so the probability is very high that you'll end up with a 20¢ single and a ruined classic cover. That's my opinion anyway and you know what they say about opinions don't you?

you said it's a partial piece. Does that mean it's a cut? If so then I say soak it!

Removed from partial piece (cut), and could not locate a watermark, so appears to be a 499. Darn, but at least I know. On to other things.