Scott U300 1c Questions

This is my first Cut Square and I was wondering about the paper and watermark. It looks like laid paper with the lines evenly spaced with light lines which I am assuming to be the watermark? Is this normal for this issue?

I was wondering about laid paper lines being at an angle and with watermark, but I see no reference to this stamp being on Laid paper with watermark. Reference the following example of laid paper with watermarks I found on wikpedia. The laid paper lines are at an angle on the envelope and watermarks appear lighter as on my cut square. Is my stamp something rare?

Anyone?

Your 1 cent blue in the OP is a U294.

These were issued on laid paper. You are correct that the other lines (besides the laid lines) comprise the watermark. In this case, watermark 7.

Your second envelope appears to be a U281 on fawn paper. Watermark 6.

The paper is produced on a Fourdrinier paper machine which results in a roll of paper with the laid lines running across the web. The much more widely spaced lines running perpendicular to the laid lines are called chain lines. These lines run the length of the paper.

The roll of paper is cut into large sheets and stacks of these sheets are delivered to the envelope contractor. The envelope contractor uses knives, shaped as an envelope blank, to cut out envelope blanks which are then fed into the envelope presses. To get maximum use of the paper, the knife is positioned at an angle, which results in the "diagonal laid" nature of your envelope.

Upon occasion you will see either horizontal laid, or vertical laid paper, which usually brings more value in the market place (they almost always have a higher catalog value.)

Edited to fix the direction of the laid lines - I had it backward.

Thank-you very much for your comments ThomasGalloway. I have the Scott Cat. which does not mention Laid paper on the U294.

The Scott catalog is more for collectors of the stamp impression rather than the more inclusive and educational UPSS catalogs which are designed to aid the collector of entire envelopes.

Bill Lehr
member of several UPSS catalog editorial boards and thus prejudiced