Scott 500 Type IA?

Would this be considered a Type Ia? The color of the stamp is a deep shade. Might just be a strong Type I, but this stamp seemed to stand out in a batch of 499's.

I am no way even close to an expert on these. What I know, I've learned mostly from this site, but wouldn't trust that I can interpret what I've learned correctly...so having said that... The toga rope top line seems too weak. Also the blobs at the base of the diagonal lines in the rope should not be there on a Ia.
You should probably show images of the ribbons.

The ribbon ends on the left and right are type I/Ia no doubt. Yes, I was wondering how much of the blobs can show on a Ia as well. The references I have found don't show a good enough image of the toga rope.

from what you've shown us, it could be SC 406 !

The stamp is unwmk, perf 11, FP. The only issue is the toga rope Type I or Ia. The stamp is either 499 or 500.

Chaulk... please post a full image of your stamp...

You need to show the whole stamp. A type Ia stamp will stand out even without magnification. The ends of the two ribbons must be seen to verify under magnification to view the plating marks.

There is an excellent article on this in the USSS archive. Anyone with more than a passing interest in Washington/Franklin stamps should join the United States Stamp Society.

See

Volume: 69 Number: 2 Year: 1998 Specialist: 816
Article: The 2c Washington Type la Identifier - It's "Partial Line"
Author(s): Richard Prothero


Clark

The full 1a looks like this...

Disi- I'm no expert on this 2 cent Washington design by any means, but your scan looks like an offset printing. Are you sure it might not be a Type VII possibly?


-IBFS

Disi's image isn't super dooper high quality but it does show the toga rope and button well. If one goes through the many stamps found by Power Search at Siegel, they will see some variation. Here's one that I recently found:

IBSF, Randal's posting is a #500. Its a bit hard to see but there is minute traces of the second line in the ribbons right and left (just a bit). They are also there on Ryan's posted image too (both small and to the bottom of the ribbon). Look close, they are where you expect to see a second line as on a type III--they are very small, but there. As Clark has pointed out in his post, there is a good article explaining this aspect of helping to ID #500 along w/the toga rope/button aspect.

Dave... thank you kindly for the affirmation...

IBFS... it's positively a 500 Ty Ia...

I just purchased a new scanner, so my souped
up (over contrast) 500 image I did on my old
flatbed will be replaced this coming week in
my computer archive, and I'll upload a nicer
scan when I can...

Randall

DNA... that's a beauty... thanks for sharing, brother...

Here is a picture of the stamp. I don't have a scanner, but do have a magnifier that takes pictures but it's to much magnification to get the whole stamp in the picture.

For those interested, the 10 repeating Scott 500 positions for plate #10209 can be seen at the link below:

http://srailstamps.com/scott-500-2c...sitions.html

An illustration of the Scott 500 (#10209) plating characteristics can be seen here (from the article Clark mentioned...which accompanies the lot):

http://srailstamps.com/media/catalo...62139-03.jpg

This is a very interesting stamp to study!

"...Thus, the differentiation of the Type Ia from the Type I on the basis of strength fo the design characteristics is subjective, relative and often inconsistent." Then later in Dr. Prothero's text he states "The completely objective (it's either there or it isn't) finding of the 'partial line' should become the primary identifier."

Those statements and the plating characteristics diagram just removed 99% of the ambiguity I had towards identifying Type Ia. srailkb, thank you very much for the links.

chaulkdust, can you take magnified pictures of the ribbons as shown in srailkb's second link?