Another 1851 3c Imperf

This was cataloged as a 10A and the color is quite dark and impression sharp. but I think I'm inexpert enough to not have any real idea. Any takers?

I haven't a clue, but that sure is a good looking stamp!

Perhaps this online page from the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society will help:

https://www.uspcs.org/stamps-covers...-10-and-10a/

I'm not super quick with the OB plates, so I'd invite someone to double check me.

I see this as an A relief, with inner lines, from either Plate 1e or 1i.

Thus, an Orange Brown 10A.

I'm trying to learn this stuff. I'm just starting. In Chase he describes a white space, usually hand repaired to the left of the top of the lower left rosette. Is that what you are seeing?

The imperf stamp is almost certainly a late(r) printing from either Plate 2L or 5L. I am thinking an 1857 printing. Quite a bit of plate wear exhibited, and those inner framelines being as faint as they are a good indicator of a late-state plate.

Rls, the white area that Chase is referring to is the damaged relief area of the A-relief on the 6-relief transfer roll used for the 1857-61 stamps. The white areas were retouched by hand directly on the plate. The retouching resulted in some of the most interesting of all the three cent stamps. Here is a very rare example from Plate 12. It has only one of the areas "repaired". This stamp also holds the spot as the earliest known use of a Plate 12 stamp.

Here is another rare stamp from one of the 3c plates made towards the end of 1857. It is an A-relief stamp with both areas "unrepaired".

The white area was caused by actual damage to the A-relief on the transfer roll. Every top row stamp from Plates 9-28 exhibit this same, so-called "damaged transfer". As I said, the efforts to conceal or repair the resultant imperfection in the transfer to the plate, yielded many interesting top row positions.

I might as well post an example of a double repair while I am at it!

Thanks, and great examples. I wore myself out looking at A relief early pictures. As I understand it, each position is unique due to the hand repairs. The color in person is quite dark compared to many I've seen. I see some 1857 stamps are called "plum" color. Maybe this qualifies. Anyway, unused 11A it is. Now, to keep or sell - that is the question. (Probably keep - my current 11A spot has a used one, but better centered. Probably need to make room.)

(edit: I decided to sell it - I'm too picky on centering)