Possible #350 Perf 12 Coil Paste-Up

I purchased this last week. Perfs appear genuine to me. They match correct guage on my Specialty Guage and have many of the traits of genuine perfs. Watermark is double line. However, the edges are not perfectly parallel. The right edge of the lower stamp in particular, seems a bit rough. I know some of these were hand trimmed--so still within acceptable limits? I just wondered what people thought as to how likely this pair is genuine (of course, this would be an "ugly" fake if someone trimmed two sheet #334s and stuck them together...so there is that)

There appears to be very slight remnants of perforation holes on both vertical sides.

Jogil, I noticed that as well, but when examined with my Specialty Guage, the divots that I thought would be hole remnants do not seem to match the perf 12-66 guage of the stamps' perf holes. It's possible I'm not lining it up perfectly due to the guesswork of where the trimmed perfs would be, but I played around with my gauge for a while and couldn't get the possible remnants to match.

Starting with the "paste up": Genuine vertical paste up pairs will have the lower stamp top margin extend underneath the upper stamp. The upper stamp would be cut close to end just above the perforation holes at the top of the lower stamp. Coil edges should be parallel. The lower stamp is not even close. Hand trimming of mismatched paste up pairs usually involved cutting about 1/3 of the stamp height to get rid of the projecting corner.

I always assumed that stamps were pasted up before they were slit.
No?

Almost all perf 12 coils were hand assembled. Sheets were perforated in one direction and cut in the other direction into strips of 20 (initially 10). The strips were assembled by hand into coils, called "hand assembled coils".

When Stickney coiling machines became available prior to rotary press availability, Sheets were perforated in one direction and then slit into panes of 200 that were pasted up to make a web ten stamps wide. The resulting roll was fed into the coiling machine which slit and spooled the web into ten coils, labeled "Auto Wound". Because the machines required some tension on the web, perforations were soon changed from 12 to 8½ because the perf 12 web was fragile.

Thanks for the guidance and input. I'll get it back to the seller for refund.

I joined this forum just to give the following info...This pair IS genuine...I have a 251 paste up pair with a cert (PF) with similar alignment, also, Kelleher May 14, 2014 (Lot 515), sale 652 has this pairs virtual TWIN...as well as lot 516, same mis-alignment. Harmer's also has had similar Paste up pairs. I collect flat plate coil paste ups (with certs) as they are almost ALWAYS "real"...hope this collector didn't return it!

Well, now I feel a bit nauseated. The pair has already been returned. For clarification (to make sure I'm talking about the same thing you are), kidlitltd, the alignment I was concerned about was not BETWEEN the two stamps, but the parallel-ness (I know...making up words) between straight edges of each stamp separately. I know alignment between stamps may not and usually does not match on the early flat plate coils...but were the edges also hand trimmed??? or should there still be a very close degree of parallel-ness between straight edges?

p.s. I would love to see your #351 paste up if you get the chance. Thanks!

The best thing you can do is to check the lots I listed...the strips are exactly, in EVERY respect, as your 350 pair. Sorry, but I have no way to post pictures...you can see what I mean from Kelleher. I either have Paste up pairs or Certs on ALL my flat plate coil pairs...(FYI, my #350 is cert'ed)...tough pair to find in ANY decent condition that is genuine

Purchase on extension send in for cert. Covered.

lukusw, Here's a Paste Up Pair I have with star imprint & Plate #5417. It was certified as genuine. The tab on my example is also slightly bigger than the top stamp (at left). The top stamp on my example was also pasted on slightly crooked. Apologies for the slow response.