2c Harding - Common Or Rare Variety?

Hi, I'm new to stamp collecting, and I recently discovered an old album
That was my grandfathers, is there any possibility that this stamp is one of the valuable variety?.

Welcome.
Here is a link, towards the bottom of the page is more information on this stamp.
http://stampsmarter.com/1847usa/ByYear/1923.html
Don

One point to highlight on that page:

Flat plate perf 11: 1,459,487,085 issued
Rotary waste perf 11: 43 examples known

Pretty long odds that any perf 11 Harding will be the rare #613.

Welcome

Dale

Just wondering. These stamps were likely printed in sheets of 100 or 400. Why does the total end in 085? Did they take out ones damaged in printing and only count those actually sent to the post offices?

So in order to distinguish the rare version of this stamp from the common I have to measure the side of the design and it should measure 22 1/2mm?

Trying to determine rotary printed stamp with measuring is very difficult and most of the time leads to incorrect conclusions. This article will help you learn how to best determine printing methods
http://stampsmarter.com/learning/Ma...methods.html
Don

51 Studibaker...Don,

'Interesting to say the least' reading the following from Appendix 1 for the first time......"STAMP SMARTERS Rotary press Rarities". then the Penny dropped.


Quote... A rotary press perf 11 stamp is not the same as a flat plate perf 11 on 552, also used on the coil waste stamp (594) or sheet waste stamp (596).

Start with correct use of a perforation gauge and accurate perforation measurements
The first attribute of catalog number 596 is that it has perforations of gauge 11 on all sides. This does not mean 11 holes, or 11 tips, on any side. It means the gauge of the perforations is 11; gauge is defined as the number of perforation holes in a linear distance of 2 cm.

2¢ Flat Plate Perf 11
1,459,487,085 issued
First Day: Sept. 1, 1923
On the stampsmarter site which is a very informative site. I collect Harding's separately.
Is the above number of issues correct?

1,459,487,085 is also the quantity given in Scott. Scott notes that the quantity may be one of 4 possibilities: # sold, approximate # sold, # delivered to post offices, or # printed. Unfortunately, Scott does not let us know which of those 4 possibilities for any given stamp.

Thanks, just curious.

Thank you, I just got back to this and the info is welcome.

I have distinguished that the stamp is a perf 11 so do I now need to measure the stamp?

Measurement by ruler is not the way to go. Instead, measure your stamp against a rotary press stamp that would be similar in size to the rare Harding. Use the link provided in Don's earlier post to learn which stamp(s) are best used for comparison.
Added: The idea is to determine whether your stamp is a flat plate or rotary press stamp. There are two perf 11 Hardings, one printed via each method. Comparing your stamp to a known flat plate or rotary press stamp can help determine which it is. You can also check the reverse side of the stamp for "setoff" … this is ink left on the stamp when sheets were stacked during the drying process. Setoff on rotary stamps is rare while it is common on flat plates.

The op needs to be aware that we are talking about a .25 mm difference in height. Comparing it to another rotary press design's dimensions is not really that indicative of anything. A .25 mm is pretty much something that needs to be done at an expert level and the odds of this becoming number 51 in the census are slim to none. Not being harsh, just practical.

All I can see on the reverse of the stamp is the black mark from where it has been stamped on the front, I'll try and get a picture up but can't seem too be able to upload it.