The W/F Frustration Continues. Any Help Greatly Appreciated.

This is a perf 12 Flat plate printed version. The only listing Scott has for this is a type one. I don't believe this is type one. What am I missing??

The stamp is positively Ty I

What type does it appear to be to you?

It's a Scott 406 by default.

It is a type I, #406. This could be an early printing from a plate before much, if any, plate wear. Appears heavily inked too. This is the first use of the "2 Cent" from the change over from the "Two Cents" so, I think, new dies and plates would have given crisper images until the plate(s) worn down. About 12.9B #406s printed. Confusing as it seems because of the strong toga rope/button, it's still a type I, and only type issued, for the "2 Cent" perf. 12.

Additional note... the Ty Ia 500 perf 11 was not put into production until 7 years after the 406 perf 12, and the 461 and 499 perf 11's went into production 5 years after the 406...

There is no Ia classification for any other perforated stamp than the
500. The only other Ia which exists is the imperforate 482A...

Well that is where my frustration comes from. That toga rope is NOT how type I is described in the Scott catalog.



Type 0 lol



I hate default. But....Al E. Gator's explanation makes sense and indeed makes it type I by default.

I never thought about this stamp being an early use of this plate hence all the different "types" are not in play yet.
Thank you everyone!

All Flat Plate "2cent2" Washingtons are Ty I, which include
all of the following Scott numbers, which include imperfs,
vertical and horizontal coils in varying perfs, and fully
perf'd 12, 10 and 11...

406, 409, 411, 413, 425, 442, 444, 461, 463, 482 and 499

Ty Ia exists only in the imperf 482A and 500 perf 11

Stampcrow, you only need a simple tutorial on how the stallzer W/F filing system works. Outline follows, now remember just because it works for me does not guarantee success for those that follow this filing method;

1. Realize there are no $10,000.00 Stamps in the pile.
2. Measure perfs
3. Check watermark
4. If it is clear cut at this point - Pert + watermark = this exact Scott number we file that one at this point. Game over.
5. If Scott catalog cites types, back into the pile to be sorted at a future time.

On a serious side, I do believe that the only way for me to tell is to have multiple confirmed types for comparison, which I don't, so back in the TBD pile they go......

Stallzer, my TBD pile is beginning to outgrow the rest of my collection.

My problem with your system..... I often have trouble at step three! Wahhhh

Step 3 is one of the simplest parts...

Watermark fluid is expensive (relatively speaking)
for how many ounces you get for how much you pay,
and not readily available...

Many collectors (including yours truly) use plain
old cigarette lighter fluid... it's always cheap,
and easy to come by...

Zippo 4oz is under $2.00... but the best deal is
Ronsonol (yellow plastic bottle) gives you 8oz for
around $3.00 and change...

To easily see watermarks, I picked up a black
ceramic plate at thrift ship for a buck sometime
way, way back, and have been using it for decades...

stampcrow... here's a very valuable link
for you for GW's...

http://www.1847usa.com/1908Washingt...entifier.htm

And here's the book you need to find
a copy of...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Washington-...047675.l2557

Ok I follow lighter fluid, black ceramic plate. Please finish the thought for new people

Ty for post re GW... To much.... Brain overload.... 15 million stamps to find the needle in the haystack

Unfortunately, http://www.coachtim.org/2011/03/100...ours-theory/ applies to w/f also. It does not come overnight.

Lighter fluid is benzine... (higher level than contained in basic watermark fluid) and turns the stamps translucent very quickly and instantly reveals the watermarks, then dries quickly when you "wave" the stamp in the air...

The black medium (plate, bowl, etc) is the best contrast for seeing watermarks... in fact "stamp watermark 'kits'" which are sold by dealers - all include a little black plastic 'bathtub' for soaking a stamp to reveal a watermark. I personally used one years ago, but found it kind of cumbersome - in terms of having a good angle to retrieve a stamp with my tongs... that's when I switched over to an open plate. Additionally, I found basic watermark fluid evaporated too quickly for a good analysis, requiring repeated re-soaking to keep the stamp 'wet' long enough for viewing...