Franklin 596 Measurements

I found this stamp in a cupboard at a thrift store along with a few others. I paid one dollar or the bag of stamps and was planning to glue them on a box for decorative purposes. As a precaution I looked a few up and am now hooked, no glue for these guys. The stamp in question measures a perf 11 (against other perf 11's) I have orders a perf gauge but do not have it yet. The stamp decoration measures 19.25 x 22.50 I measured it with several different kinds of rulers and with the exception of a clear fat ruler always have gotten the same measurements

Yet another newbie with a 596 tale...

Believe this one, and I've got this awesome brick bridge
over the east river in NYC for sale... cheap...

Having bad time uploading photos

Is there ink on the back? Its called set-off and would indicate a flat plate printing.

Please don't be mean! I know you get a lot of these so I will not bother you anymore

According to V.F. Thomas a flat plate 552 measures 18.5 - 19.0 mm x 22 mm is this information reliable?

There are several things that cause those measurements to vary. Remember, we are only talking 1/2 a mm here. One way to check is to compare the size of the design of this stamp to one you know is a rotary press stamp. Also look for set-off.

If you search scf for 596, you will find a lot of info on how to id the stamp.

Its all very confusing no wonder someone threw it in the cupboard. No green specks but a smear of something dark on the back very easy to see size with macro lens but... These stamps are driving me nuts. I have tried to upload image but no luck yet. I should not complain though I have found several good stamps that were easy to figure out. It seems to be a nice collection.

It looks like SC 632 from here because of the colour, rotary press but vertical perfs 10.5, not 11. The perfs on the side are tough to identify without a gauge.

Thanks so much. I have more that I need to know about but I will wait for the gage to get here. I read on line that you start on first tab count that as half then count the holes to the 2 so you would have 1/2 plus 10 plus 1/2 = 11. I am obsessed with the math. Perf gauge much needed. Thanks for your help.

Scans are better. Do you have a scanner? If your vignette dimensions and perf measurements are correct, absolutely correct, you would be one lucky chap indeed! But chasa is probably right.

Wait till your perf gauge arrives. It's too hard to be sure of perf 11 vs. 10.5 just visually. Then create a template from a flat plate stamp of the era, like this...

https://goscf.com/t/43052#368883

A flat plate stamp should be about one frame line thinner (or shorter) than a rotary stamp.




-IBFS

By the way taking pictures on phone the flash when used on white paper turns the paper dark yellow. How does an expert deal with that ? I have another that it matters with it is either a 211b or something else its a beautiful stamp. Enlarge my picture look to left side what it is sitting on is really white. Maybe go outside? No flash?

Let me explain how I did this I take a picture with my cellphone on macro usually on black background. I put a good ruler along side and enlarged the picture. I can enlarge enough to count perfs one at a time very clear picture too. I am afraid I am being too optimistic though if I could load some I would put it on here I think it may be flat plate. Oh well I would just feel guilty finding one when people collect all of their lives and never see one. I just wanted to glue it to a box.

Welcome to the forum, JC1958 - I can tell you genuinely want to learn! This stamp design was issued by the billions upon billions. There are a couple of printings that have special characteristics that make them rare. Scott 596 is one of those rare printings.

First off, don't feel bad about not understanding about the different printings - it will take a lot of time and research for you to learn the subtleties of the them.

If you are genuinely hooked on stamps and want to learn more, you are in a good place with SCF. As with any community, there will be different personalities so don't take offense at the short answers. We see a lot of questions like yours, and some people are less than patient.

As for your stamp, you really need to take a good picture of the front and back for us to look at.

Cheers!

Brian