Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

Sharing a 7 & a 10A today

7 Certified and Graded as an 85 by the PSAG.
10A certified and graded as 90J by the PSAG

I have not plated either of them - yet.

Stan Shepp

The 1c Franklin is position 4L2.

The #10A is not very likely to be a #10A. PSAG: "We don't know what it is but we can sure tell you how great it is"

8R2L. The things that pass for expertise, I can't understand.

Thanks, Sinclair. I was having the hardest time plating it. :)

Stan Shepp

Sellers description:

Hand-painted Rose, ladies cover franked by exceptional four-margined #10A (position 1R2E, color by Dr. Amonette as "medium brownish orange brown", tied by red grid cancel with matching New Britain Oct. 6 postmark alongside; addressed to Wolcottville, Ct., with a delicate rose design at left; normal light toning and edge wear, but an exquisite cover nonetheless, Very Fine.

Pretty cover.
Stan Shepp

Sellers description:

Hand-painted Rose, ladies cover franked by exceptional four-margined #10A (position 1R2E, color by Dr. Amonette as "medium brownish orange brown", tied by red grid cancel with matching New Britain Oct. 6 postmark alongside; addressed to Wolcottville, Ct., with a delicate rose design at left; normal light toning and edge wear, but an exquisite cover nonetheless, Very Fine.

Another cover that I'm happy to own.
Stan Shepp

Mystery 1c Franklin. I guess it's a type II, but would like to plate it. I'm not seeing many features I can use to narrow it down. Looking for hints on which plates seem most likely so I can dig further. Thanks.

1E

APS Certified (#204389) as "United States, Scott No. 11A, Pos. 29R1L in Experimental Orange Brown, used, small Boston PAID cancellation, genuine in all respects."



Just sharing.

Stan Shepp

I looked through plate 1E. I used the guide dot images and listed out all the positions that were close to this dot. But I can't make a match of the dozen or so matching guide dots I just didn't find one that matched. I really am not built for this exercise.

COVER: PROPAGANDA: INTEMPERANCE.

From New Britain, CT, "Intemperance is the Curse of the World" wonderful overall design depicting various scenes including the smashing of gin and rum barrels, Wm. C. Hale imprint at right, franked by 3¢ Washington (US Scott #11A) cancelled by black grid with "MAY 29 NEW BRITAIN CT." postmark at left and addressed to (Rev.) Edwin N.(orton) Andrews, Andover, Mass.

Unplated stamp appears to be a late 1852 Claret.

___________

"THE MAINE LAW." The temperance movement had its origins in Maine, and to one degree or another dominated the political life of this state for more than a century.

The world's first Total Abstinence Society was founded in Portland in 1815. a state organization of temperance societies was formed in 1834, and within a dozen years had developed enough political clout to force the enactment of a state law prohibiting the sale of alcoholic spirits except for "medicinal and mechanical" purposes.

Under the fiery leadership of Portland's Neal Dow - known internationally as the "Father of Prohibition" - Maine approved a total ban on the manufacture and sale of liquor in 1851.

This so-called "Maine Law" remained in effect, in one form or another, until the repeal of National Prohibition in 1934.

Just sharing for your viewing pleasure.

Stan Shepp

Sharing today this writeup that I did a year ago for my Facebook page. It showed up as a 'facebook memory' today. The writeup was intended for non collectors, but it's still interesting.

Enjoy! Stan Shepp


This is a recent acquisition. A beautiful example of a #10A.

This 4-margin #10A was printed from plate 5 in its Early state. The early state of Plate 5 only produced 10A's. It was only used for a short time, first showing up on July 22, 1851. It only produced Orange-Brown stamps until it was reintroduced in its late state, Sept. 3, 1851.

From the 200 positions of Plate 5E, only 5 are C-relief, with the shoulder gash. 82 positions are A-Reliefs & the other 113 positions are B-relief.

A-relief examples generally came from the odd rows 10's, 30's, 50's, & 70's.

This A-relief is the 3rd stamp from the 7th row of the right pane.

Plated Position 73R5E

It is still attached to an FLS (Folded Letter Sheet) with an excellent strike of a blue CDS (Circular Date Stamp) from ABINGDON, Va AUG 20, (1851)

Abingdon is a beautiful little town in the extreme South-West strip of Virginia. Down where they make fun of the hillbillies in Tennessee and Kentucky - without realizing that they are literally the same breed of hillbilly, they just live on the other side of some imaginary line that allows them to call themselves 'Virginians'. But this is a much different Virginia than the area surrounding Washington, DC.

The earliest (& closest) Census (1870) shows 715 people living in Abingdon. In 2010, there were 8,191 residents. Still a small town.

The letter is addressed to Lynchburg, Va. A much more refined area of Virginia.

The unusual Guide Dot in Upper Right Corner (usually reserved for top row examples) is actually the Lower Right guide dot from the B-relief example in the position above - Position 63R5E

There is a short scissors cut coming in from left side, at the top left, just along the top frame line. About 4mm (I'm guessing, not measuring this time)

In this closeup of the stamp, the cancel looks 'off blue', almost ultramarine. I know that it's a blue cancel, because I have the whole cover and it matches the CDS.

The letter appears to be from a law office to a law office about a $9.94 credit being applied from one account towards another.

This is one way to collect stamps. I don't have an album page that calls for this. Not for the stamp, nor the cover. I have created a place for the cover, so that it has a home. And I have created a place for the various positions of the 3c, 1851 George Washington stamps.

risny - I didn't spend too much time looking, but I think 64L1E could be a match. It's hard to see the faint plate marks on your scan, but at least a couple of the ones highlighted by Doporto example also appear on your stamp.

You either have really good eyes or a good imagination. It's a good try, but I'm not convinced. The guide dot position looks slightly lower than on my stamp. I think this is quite a tough one given the lack of identifying marks and the cancel in bad places.