Show Your US 1851-57 Imperforate Stamps

Hi Fritz --

Those Chase annotated stamps from plate 5L are really cool to look at -- and all are premium plating positions to boot -- very nice. And that Middleborough, Mass stamp has a gem of a strike -- as clear 1856 year dated cds cancels are tougher to find than one might think. Thanks for showing them!

Regards // ioagoa

I was fortunate enough to be able to acquire one of the rarer 10c Washingtons this month, a Scott 16 with both recuts in position 64L1. This completes my 10c imperforates 13-16 after starting with only 15's/Type III in my collection. What I really appreciate about this specific 16 is that it was signed by Ashbrook in October 1957 a few months before his death on the back agreeing with the later certs (PF 175769, PF 460284) that this is in fact 64L1.

It was sold at least three times in the past, so I am likely at least the 4th owner.

2026 Kelleher sale 831 lot 740 (me)
2019 Siegel Sale 1197 lot 1601
2007 Matthew Bennet Sale 323 lot 95
1995 Siegel Sale 765 lot 327

Nice stamp! The top + bottom recut is a good one to get.

Greetings all. I been spinning my wheels a bit with this one and could use a little help. I am currently thinking this is position 2R3. The left, right and bottom frame lines seem to match up nicely with 2R3 but the top is a little off. Its a nice impression so that may be making the gap between the TFL and TLB look wider than other examples I am comparing it too. The upper left Triangle looks to be recut with a "short" single line but 2R3 doesn't have recuts in this triangle so thats not making it easy. There is also color where the upper right guide dot should be on 2R3 but its by no means a clear guide dot. What do folks think? 2R3 or something else?

Hope all are well and staying warm.
Harper1249

Just another pretty stamp - 27R4 - YORK Pa.

That's a beauty, Fritz, with a beautifully centered postmark and four nicely balanced margins! Thanks for showing it.

Harper1249 - I agree that the stamp you are trying to plate is 2R3. The right side frame lines appear to be unique, especially when squished, as I've done below.

Hi Harper -- and Hi Fritz --

Not that you guys needed another confirmation -- but I was almost finished looking at your stamp when Fritz posted his compressed image comparison -- so I thought I would wrap it up and let you know that I likewise agree that despite the differences you previously noted -- (i.e., the wider white spacing between the TFL / TLB, the apparent short recut in the ULT, and the faint blur of a GD) -- that by a process of elimination, your stamp cannot be anything other than 2R3.

I compared the full sized image of your stamp against all other B reliefs on plates 2L and 3 -- and the only possible fit despite the inking anomalies you noted -- is position 2R3. (Didn't take too long as the majority were eliminated by GD positioning).

Still, those differences you noted are very strange -- especially the apparent short recut in the ULT. Hard to say what might have caused these -- but regarding the wider spacing between the TFL / TLB and the blur of a GD -- being a top row position at the edge of the sheet -- it is possible that the paper was slightly dry in those areas and the ink just didn't get fully picked up -- although I will also say that the stamp does not look like a typical "dry paper impression". The short recut in the ULT is harder to explain -- but between the plating work done by you, Fritz, and me -- I am confident that the stamp has to be 2R3.

Regards // ioagoa

Plate II position 23L showing the crack from the big flaw.

Thanks for the confirmation Ioagoa and 3c1851Fritz. 2R3 is one of the final 10 positions on Plate 3 that I need. So nine more to go. As always your all's insight and plating expertise is second to none.

Regards,
Harper1249

I just obtained a few covers from the 3 cent stamp and decided to try to work thru them. this particular stamp is dated (in the letter) on 04-28-56. I believe it is a number 11 and may be 93L8 based on the lower left corner position of the outer frame line not meeting the BFL. Pictures attached. I am concerned the color is not quite right but I see no other such extensions of the left frame line in the searches I tried. I believe it is a B relief with no guide dots and no inner lines. If I could get a confirmation it would be appreciated. If I need a push in another direction to get the correct stamp please advise me. TIA

Hi Chipsshot --

I don't have time to plate your stamp -- but a couple of comments that may help you:

-- In your scan, it appears that the top frame line (TFL) of the adjoining stamp below can be seen -- which eliminates the bottom row.

-- The relief features are partially obscured by the cancellation -- but from what I can see, I would lean toward your stamp being an A relief. I see no trace of a break in the outer oval at 12:00 -- and likewise no trace of a "B-hump" in the outer oval at 6:00. Too bad that cancellation obscures the area at top where there would be an "A notch" -- and at 3:00 where the tessellation would impinge into the white space of the medallion oval. Still, if I were going to plate this stamp, I would lean toward it being an A relief.

-- Overall frame lines (FLs) look to be recut a little too lightly for plate 8. This is not enough to eliminate plate 8 -- but I would lean toward plates 6 or 7 for the initial hunt.

-- The left frame line (LFL) is pretty distinctive -- as it has a sharp inward bend at a level opposite the top of the nose. This in combination with the extension of the LFL beyond its intersection with the bottom frame line (BFL) would probably be your best initial search features to generate a shorter list of candidates for closer evaluation.

Good luck and keep us posted as to where you land.

Regards // ioagoa

Thank you very much and I will persue that line of inquiry hoping to get a better opinion on the stamp. Been away awhile and hope to get back up to speed with your (and others) assistance.

Chipshot - Please send me a 1200dpi scan of the stamp. I've tried plating from this scan with no success.

Chipshot, it might be do to the scan and my screen but that bottom frame line and the lower left triangle have features that stand out to me. I would be looking for matches of those areas.
I'm seeing the bottom frame lines thickness being inconsistent and there are three short vertical lines in the lower left triangle. But again im not sure if that real.