Scott 300 Booklet Single - Lines Can Be Good!

There have been many threads in recent weeks about guide lines on the edges of flat plate sheets - and their general lack of value.

However, the plate layout of the early U.S. booklets also has guide lines crossing at the center the press sheet. The horizontal line falls within the finished booklet panes, rather than along a straight edge, as shown in the diagram of the booklet pane layout from the Scott catalog.



Consider the following $1 box discovery of Scott 300b, which shows the guide line along the top edge and cut wide enough to show a trace of the arrow at the left. Easily identifiable as a booklet single, and a bonus by being from position 81, as shaded above.





Or this booklet pair showing the guide line along the top perforations.





Yes, I agree with recent posts that booklets singles should be listed in Scott.

Hi, I found the last image/scan of the pair interesting, as the stamps show the One Dot Relief Break.

I have not paid much attention to the booklet stamps, but think this is the first time I've noticed this One Dot Relief Break on booklet stamps. Very interesting indeed!

Stampmaster

Actually looks like some point closer to the Two-Dot Relief Break...

Can you educate the rest of us in this area? I don't know where this relief break is located. Maybe an arrow indicating the area? Thanks.

Hi, it in fact may be the Two Dot, difficult to tell on my monitor. I'll bet your eyes are much better than mine!

The image does not belong to me, so I cannot add an arrow to help you.

Refer to Cloudy's book, page 31 left col. "3365- NOTE" will give you a description.

If you do not have Cloudy's book look at the stamp, top, "SERIES 1902", then look at the "2" and "E" of STATES.

Here is a close-up of the right stamp in the pair above, showing the 2 small breaks below the 2.

The area is under the 2 of Series of 1902, there is a series of relief breaks the touch the E of States. Also a relief break in the 1 of 1706, at the lower left. For more complete information see Volume 1 The Postage Stamps of the 20th Century by Beverly S. King and Max G. Johl Page 39. Available for download here.


https://siegelauctions.com/enc/pdf/Johl_Vol_1.pdf

That's interesting!

One question I have asked some time ago...here again: For all those small oddities, there is "only" French's book in the US, no special catalogue with values today, no mentioning in Scott (except for very few oddities and errors). Here in Germany we have hundreds and hundreds of those mentioned in Michel, and there are even own small books with CVs for it.

So why isn't there anything like a catalogue in the US?
Is there no real premium about it, or if there is some premium perhaps in such an error or plate scratches or other things, why isn't it listed anywhere?

Thanks for the picture and the reference. I do have that PDF downloaded and will now have to read it more carefully.

Hi, don't know why there isn't more publications listing all the plate varieties.

I think Cloudy's book is the best reference so far.

Very few plate varieties are worth anything.

For myself, the discovery is more important, then adding my discoveries to my reference stock books.

For what ever it is worth.

Good luck in your stamp adventures.

Thank you. So are the most "famous" and valuable plate varieties also listed in Scott?
I am asking about this (the CV) as the CV - so the often asked "how much is it worth?" - is mostly a good indicator if the things you find are just normal common oddities or something more rare. I am not a longterm collector and have no experience about this. That's why the CV would be a good thing to know. But if you say that most varieties are not worth much, it's not important to know the CV of course :).

Stamerix,
This is the issue with calling out things like relief breaks in a forum like this; people immediately relate this with 'I just found a rarity!'. These are interesting anomalies that are focused on by those with specialized interest levels, not by the general collecting public. As such, and without separate catalog and album spaces, general collectors are not driving market prices.
Don

Scott does list some constant plate varieties, such as the broken circle on #616 and a number of varieties in the George Washington Bicentennial issue of 1932, but leaves others out.

Scott may say they don;t list more because they are not popular, but by not listing them many collectors don't know about them, so it suppresses their popularity. I wouldn't suggest they go as far as French, but I would like to see more listed.

The Scott Specialized will never have "everything". That is where specialized monographs and societies fill the void.

Anyway, here is a cover with a booklet pair showing the central vertical guide line at right.

Hi John Becker, would it be possible (I have no idea how I could do it here), to enlarge the left stamp, upper part only, or full stamp if no trouble?

Thanks in Advance

Stampmaster