1c 1851 Plate 7 Stamps

There was no post for plate 7 stamps so I made one. I would appreciate it if someone more knowledgeable on this plate would write an introduction to this plate like what was done with plate 5.

Meanwhile, I was looking over some old photos by Ashbrook and ran across 8 photos of columns 3-10R7. I adjusted the rotation of each image and reconstructed the plate photos as best as I could. This is what I came up with. If anyone wants a full 1200dpi copy of this photo reconstruction, let me know and I will mail you a copy.

I believe this is 18L7. The Doporto Plating Archive image for this position is described as tentative, but the marks in the shoulder of the scan are a match, as is the dot in the O of ONE, which is also shown in the Neinken drawing for this position (the shoulder marks are not). All of these features are discernible under magnification in position 18L7 of the nearly complete sheet of Plate 7 from the Wagshal collection sold by Siegel (Sale 1006, Lot 1276). Note the interesting appearance of the blur above the S of POSTAGE in the scan. This cannot be seen in the other images because in those cases the design is cut into at top--it may be another identifier of this position.

Dudley, I would agree with you on the position 18L7. I marked up my copy of the Ashbrook photo of the position. I indicated 5 marks on the shoulder, the dot in "O", the blurs on top, the line to the left just outside the oval, line in "E" of "CENT", White area below inner frame line at top and the missing cross bar of the "A" in "POSTAGE".

Here is a nice strip, 76-77-78L7. I believe it is noteworthy in providing a confirmed image of 77L7, which seems to be hard to come by (there is no Neinken drawing or Doporto image, and even the Plate 7 reconstruction in the Siegel archive is missing this position).

Hi Dudley - do you happen to have a higher resolution scan of your strip? Also, does 77L7 have a big curl on Franklin's shoulder?

kiwidad, This is the best I can do on resolution (2400dpi). I don't see anything resembling a curl on 77L7.

70R7

I didn't really appreciate at the time I bought it how lucky I was to be able to acquire the stamp below. It is position 71R7. Neinken states that it is the most outstanding flaw on the plate, and I think that may hold for any of the Type V plates. The flaw in the "T" and "A" of "POSTAGE" is obvious. The 2nd flaw behind ornaments "P" and "Q" is less noticeable, but also easy to identify.

I've looked for other examples of this position in auction records, and I haven't found any other than the one in Ashbrook, Neinken and Wagshal's nearly complete plating auctioned by Siegel in 2011.

It's a great position. There are a couple of other Type V stamps with similarly striking flaws (the "earring" flaw of 10L9 and 68L8, for example), but this one is very nice.

A great example on that cover, dudley!

I agree, it is a striking flaw. You can easily see it even on the smaller image on-cover - it jumps out nicely.

Thought this was a neat little item. 4 Plate 7 imprint captures.

There was also a type V 1st column right pane piece on cover.

Also notice the "stamp smarter" plug in the write up.

Not sure I understand the plate 1L reference though

Who is the previous owner?

Was able to pick up position 50R7





That completed the right side imprint capture :)

Great stuff, stallzer!

Very nice collection of imprints, stallzer. The imprints on plates 5 through 10 are all interesting because of the way Toppan, Carpenter & Co. adjusted the transfer roll to remove "Casilear" from the imprint. I have a 41L7 that I'll post later that is a good example of the kind of errors produced.

Close examination of the imprint on the stamp that you have identified in your reconstructed strip as 60R7 has me convinced that it is actually 60R8. Figure 18-E in Neiken's book is a strip of 40/50/60/70R7 with the imprint number. The first part of the imprint transfer ("Toppan, Carpenter") on this strip is lower than on your stamp. Compare the position of the "C" or "p" of "Carpenter" in the enlarged images below. The second part of the transfer is more closely aligned with your stamp, but it is still a slightly lower. Your stamp also has a dot in the center of the bust that matches the Neinken map of 60R8.