1851-57 12c Washington

It seems that I made a plating error. My plating on 12/9/25 was incorrect (see block image there). I thought I had found positions 1-2---11-12L3. The problem occurred with my spacing chart. The image for columns 1-2 was incorrect. The old image was not scaled properly and made the space smaller than it actually is. I changed the spacing chart and the block did not fit the new spacing. So I checked around for the correct spacing. The spacing only matched the small piece that I had for columns 8-9L3.. Then I went to plate it in that column. I found a perfect match for both right stamps at 19L3 and 29L3 (Image 1). It also ties the upper right block of four with the block of four below it, which was originally tied by a stamp from the right pane. On the 19L3 (top left stamp), there is a distinct mark above the dot after "U.S". See detail image comparison (top right stamp). I used the new 29L3 as an ID Image (bottom left) and my other 29L3 on bottom right as an ID Image. Image two shows my old and new spacing chart space for columns 8-9L3 on top. You can see there the small piece I had for that spacing. Bottom images show the change in the left pane guide dot chart. Now I have my left pane spacing chart updated and correct (image 3).

I got a few more items plated. First is a pair from Siegel #1067 lot 984.
I plated it at 9-10R3. Not much help.

The next is a block of 4, Siegel #1187 Lot 96.
I plated it at 22-23---32-33R3. Much better find.
Improved guide dot image on 22R3 and 32R3.

The last is a block of 4, Siegel #852 lot 186. I plated it at 63-64---73-74R3.
This gives me a position 64R3 that was missing. Only position left to find is 65R3.
Guide dots match on 63,73 and 74. Position 74R3 has a small line outside of the right
frameline in the middle that is unique and matches with two other copies.

There is one block of 4 from Allen's collection, Siegel 1265 lot 775. It appears to be column 1 and 2 from the left pane.
Cannot confirm exact position. Did not find a match on right pane.

I don't know if this belongs in this thread, but there is a post on Richard Frajola's board that Jim Allen, collector, exhibitor, and plater of the 12¢ stamp, passed away on Christmas Eve.

My post about Jim from Richard's board.

That is a real shame. I would have loved to have spoken with James Allen about the 12c plate 3 left pane. I was able to start the left pane with the images that he sold through Siegel. But 3 lots were bundled without images. I have been able to add on to what he started. I am running low on images and probably will not be able to complete it but I have the database to help other collectors in the future. It has most of the work that he put in on the plate and what I have been able to add to it. I have a pair and two blocks of four for the first two columns with no way to tie them in. I am missing one position for reconstruction of the right pane and 3 images to complete the right pane guide dot chart. My guide dot charts have been of immense help in my plating efforts. I have almost plated every pair and block found on Siegel.

In memory of James Allen, here is his work on the 1851 12c stamp from the USPCS website:
https://www.uspcs.org/resource-cent...f-1851-1861/

I have two blocks of 4 on the left pane, positions 9-10---19-20L3 and 29-30---39-40L3 from two separate auctions (image 1). One block was owned by Jim Allen. I found an old PF cert that shows these two blocks were once attached (image 2). But doing a PF search, there is no cert #39421. All certs have 6 digits. But looking at the perforations, there is no doubt that these two blocks were once a block of 8. If they were still intact, it would be the largest left pane block known.

When I first started on plate 3 left pane, I ran across 2 pairs plated by Allen as 13-14L3. I immediately moved one pair to the unidentified folder as it did not match the guide dot on position 14L3. I came back today to plate it. I only found one match in the row, of course I went from the bottom to the top of the sheet. I plated it to 3-4L3. The pair I changed is on top of image 1 and the other pair is on the bottom. Image 2 shows the top right corners of position 3 and 4 and the bottom corner of the same positions. I am confident of my plating on this pair. I upgraded both guide dot positions on the chart.

I finally found a piece in the virtual market that I have been looking for.
I am missing one position on the right pane of plate 3, 65R3.
I just plated this block of 7 to 55-56---65-66---75-76---86R3.
All stamps around position 65R3 match with what I have.
That completes the right pane.

Here is the completed right pane plate 3 guide dot chart.

I finished the virtual plate reconstruction for the right pane of plate 3.
Looks great.

Here is an interesting item. These two vertical pairs came off the same envelope. The right side is cut which puts it in the 10th column of the left plate. One pair overlapped the other and we lost one guide dot. The guide dots on the two upper stamps appear to be the same and it does not match any of the 8 positions that I have. I am missing 60 and 70L3. The image below shows the guide dots of the two top stamps and the guide dot of the bottom right stamp. The guide dot of the bottom left image is of my only copy of 80L3. It looks like a match to the bottom stamp. The two tops match. That would make these two pairs with the same position of 70---80L3. What are the odds of the same position pairs be on the same envelope? Maybe if it was done at the post office and they tore two sheets?

I made a purchase today. This stamp was listed as a Scott #36. I determined that it is a Scott #36B. It shows the centerline at left which indicates column 1 on the right pane. Plate 1 has a larger space to the centerline (see image B). Notice the guide dot at the bottom left from the left pane stamp. Column 10 from plate 1 had no guide dots. Looking at column 10 of plate 3, only one position has the guide dot that far to the right and above the double frame line. That is position 10L3 (see image A). That makes this stamp position 1R3. I checked and confirmed that it was not reperfed at the right. I got a good deal on the stamp. The perforations are tight on this issue.

I am slowly working on finishing the plating drawing for the right pane on Stamp Smarter -website.
Hopefully it will become the "go to" site for the 1851-60 12c Washington issue.

@jaxom - I agree, 1R3.

Your post motivated me to pull out my 10L3 - which you illustrated; some of the light scratches in the left margin of your stamp also match up well to the 10L straddle copy.

Cert 39421 would be in the early cert area, which are under 112000 cert numbers.

Cert 39421? What stamp is that? Can you show the cert?