Wash/Frank Imperforate Stamps.

Both 314A and 482A are ONLY known with Shermack perforations, that's why they are called "imperforate". It's to have the number available in case one is ever found without the Shermack perfs added.

It is Shermack perforations not Shermack imperforations.

They were issued imperforate and sold to those companies who then added their private perfs. So listing them as imperforate is correct because that is how they were issued. The footnotes to both stamps explains that they are currently only known with the private perfs added.

Perforations are intended to separate stamps. That is not the purpose of the Schermack slots at all. They are in place so that the 4 feeding fingers inside the affixing machine can locate the stamp so it can be severed from the coil by an internal knife.

Since the slots enable the stamps to be separated, they are perforations. Highly specialized and specific to their purpose to be sure, but perforations nonetheless.

Aaarrrrggghhhhhhhh!!!

Moral of the story ... a perforation, by any other name, is still a perforation.

Moral of the story #2: never ask a stamp collector what a word means!

So, it's all about perspective.

Technically, all privately perforated stamps are PERFORATED.

But, from the perspective of the USPS, these stamps are "imperforate" because that's how they were issued. Scott Catalog (I don't know about international catalogs) does not issue a new catalog number just because they were perforated after being issued. And as already been mentioned, your collection is your collection. A Schermack Type III #343 was issued as an imperforate stamp. So if you want to use it to sit in your #343 spot, that is up to you. I still have a Schermack Type III in my #534B spot.

Here, treasure hunters... have fun with this one...