US Scott #5 --- For Free !

No, not the stamp (sorry but it cats between $85K for used and $225K mint) and I'm not that generous.

However, Robert Siegel Auction Galleries is selling the Jerome Wagshal collection in September and has posted some wonderful items on the site for free:

1. A preview of the sale showing some wonderful items at http://siegelauctions.com/desp/WagshalPreview.pdf

2. A copy of his exhibit including how to plate the one cent Franklin (with lots of examples) at http://siegelauctions.com/exhibits/Wagshal.pdf

3. A copy of his census of Scott #5 first published in 1999 and only missing a few recently found examples at http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynam...nsus/5/5.pdf

This census used to sell for ~$100 but the auction house is offering it now for free. The only problem with it is that all the illustrations are in black and white.

No, I don't own a #5. I have a plate proof of #40 sitting in its album space. Not quite the same despite the complete design on 40P4. Simply because the post office never regularly issued a complete one cent Franklin! Scott #5 (position 7R1E) is "over-complete" in that it has a double transfer of an upper plume on the right. Scott #40, issued for the 1875 centennial, does not show the double transfer.

do you have a scott #5??

No. I have several 7's and 9's but no 5, 6, or 8's. This section of the Scott catalog is somewhat confusing and Wagshal's exhibit does a very nice job of separating the different Types. It doesn't help that many stamps are cut into before the post office started using perforations. Plating is a must to identify many from this issue. (Although not quite so bad as trying to tell a #10 from a #11.)

1847CensusTaker---Thank you for the links. I alas only own a single number 9 and a single number 24. Obviously, these stamps are not for the fainthearted or cash-starved.

Yes..excellent links, I am really enjoying reading these article.
Thanks.

I absolutely love this forum.

Every thread is almost like an Agatha Cristie novel. They're real page turners!

And I learn so much. As an example, how many years would I have to sit at the knees of my non-existant stamp dealer to learn what is in those PDF files?????