US Scott 500

Shannon, the Type 1a's were an experiment which used a larger number of relief's on the transfer roll (I lost my copy of Armstrong's, so I'm typing this from my recollection...), I think 10 reliefs, and with it the added pressure of trying to rock in 10 reliefs at once. That caused a deeper color, and a much deeper impression than the Type 1 stamps.

Yours is a washed out looking type 1, with a washed out color. When you have a Type 1 in your pile, trust me, the color will jump out at you because it is like no other of the W-F's...I went through a box of 10,000 back in about 1990 and was lucky to find 2 of them, and when I did, it was no doubt-- and it will be for you also.

Unfortunately, there is no way that your stamp is a Type 1a. BUT, a 491 is a LOT tougher than a 500, so my sincere congratulations!

Hope this helps-- Ray

Thanks Ray and all. I think you have convinced me to not send in the stamp after reading and a re-look. Since I have it handy, here is another one I was going to send in that has that "deep color" that Ray was referring to. Again, it has the 2 lines in the left ribbon but only half of a line in the second (I need that scanner). See if this one looks a little more like a 500. I have posted a comparison picture of the 2 stamps.

That one appears to have the right color and the toga rope/button look good. I think that may well be a 500. The color has much more rose than carmine which is consistent with a 500's color. Could be what you're seeing as a half second line is just some smeared or over-flowed ink from else where on the design? Type 1a's don't have two lines in the ribbon.

Sure looks good to me. Congratulations!

This stamp will most like likely be a hole in this set in my album. I am currently by co-incidence working on the unused stamps of this set right now.


-IBFS

Update on submission of stamp.... negative per Mr. Weiss... he said the color was not right and this is a 499 that has some overinking. Cant tell you how much I have spend getting the wrong stamps expertized this year :)

GREAT learning experience though.

Too bad. We were all rooting for you. Keep looking (I know I am).

Bump. 3 years later...

Ummm Shannon, that stamp is most definitely a Scott #500. Weiss, along with all the expert groups out there, because we are all human, made mistakes. If I were you, I'd send it in for another certificate if you still want it certified.

Or, if you still think it's a #499, I'd be more than happy to offer you 100 times the catalog value of #499 (which is 25 cents) for it.